delicately
gb/dˈɛlɪkɪtli/ us/dˈɛlɪkɪtli/
B1
English
Senses
0 senses
adverb
B1
property
1
gently and with great care
in a gentle and careful way
Usage pattern:
[do something] delicately; handle/touch [something] delicately
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use it where only 'carefully' is meant; 'delicately' often implies fragility or gentleness.
Synonyms
gently (Emphasizes softness and light force.)
|
carefully (Emphasizes attention and avoiding mistakes.)
|
gingerly (Emphasizes caution because something may break or hurt.)
Antonyms
roughly (With too much force or without care.)
|
clumsily (Without skill or control.)
Collocations
handle delicately
|touch delicately
|lift delicately
|place delicately
|pick up delicately
|move delicately
|hold delicately
|remove delicately
|wipe delicately
|set down delicately
Themes
daily_life
|objects
|health
Examples
- She lifted the sleeping baby delicately so she wouldn’t wake him.
- Remove the foil delicately to avoid tearing the pastry.
- He touched the bruise delicately and winced.
Learner examples
- Please handle the glass delicately.
- She held the bird delicately in her hands.
adverb
B2
property
2
tactfully about sensitive topics
in a polite, careful way about something sensitive
Usage pattern:
speak/ask/raise/mention [something] delicately
Common mistake:
Not the same as 'politely' in general; it’s used when the topic is awkward or personal.
Synonyms
tactfully (Directly focuses on avoiding offense.)
|
diplomatically (Often used for disagreements or negotiations.)
|
sensitively (Emphasizes awareness of feelings.)
Antonyms
bluntly (In a direct way that may sound rude.)
|
tactlessly (Without sensitivity to others’ feelings.)
Collocations
speak delicately
|ask delicately
|raise the issue delicately
|approach it delicately
|mention it delicately
|put it delicately
|handle it delicately
|word it delicately
|suggest delicately
|hint delicately
Themes
communication
|relationships
|emotions
Examples
- She tried to bring up the salary issue delicately.
- He delicately suggested that the plan might need a rethink.
- The doctor explained the results delicately but clearly.
Learner examples
- I spoke delicately about her mistake.
- He asked delicately about my age.
adverb
B2
property
3
with a light, subtle quality
in a light or gentle way (taste, smell, colour)
Usage pattern:
delicately + [flavoured/scented/coloured/patterned/shaded]
Common mistake:
Don’t confuse with 'deliciously' (tasty). 'Delicately' often means subtle, not strong.
Synonyms
subtly (Highlights that the effect is not obvious or strong.)
|
lightly (Often used for flavouring or colouring in small amounts.)
|
faintly (Suggests the quality is barely noticeable.)
Antonyms
strongly (With a powerful taste, smell, or effect.)
|
heavily (With too much added flavour/colour or too intense an effect.)
Collocations
delicately flavoured
|delicately scented
|delicately perfumed
|delicately spiced
|delicately sweet
|delicately coloured
|delicately patterned
|delicately shaded
|delicately tinted
|delicately lit
Themes
food
|art_design
|sensory
Examples
- The fish was delicately flavoured with lemon and herbs.
- The room was delicately scented with jasmine.
- The scarf was delicately patterned in pale blue and grey.
Learner examples
- The soup is delicately spiced.
- The candle is delicately scented.
adverb
B2
property
4
in a graceful, refined way
in a graceful, gentle way
Usage pattern:
move/step/smile/gesture delicately
Common mistake:
This use is about style and grace, not only about being careful with fragile things.
Synonyms
gracefully (More general; not necessarily small or fine.)
|
daintily (Often suggests small, fine, or traditionally feminine grace.)
Antonyms
awkwardly (Without grace or ease.)
|
heavily (With weight or lack of lightness.)
Collocations
move delicately
|step delicately
|walk delicately
|dance delicately
|smile delicately
|gesture delicately
|rest delicately
|sit delicately
|laugh delicately
|hold delicately
Themes
body_language
|arts
|social_life
Examples
- She stepped delicately across the wet stones.
- He smiled delicately and changed the subject.
- The ballerina moved delicately, almost floating.
Learner examples
- She walked delicately in high heels.
- He moved delicately like a dancer.
adverb
C1
property
5
in a fragile, precarious way
in a way that can easily change or fail
Usage pattern:
delicately + [balanced/poised/placed/positioned]; [be] delicately [dependent/structured]
Common mistake:
Often used with 'balanced' or 'poised' to show something could easily go wrong.
Synonyms
precariously (Emphasizes danger of failure or collapse.)
|
finely (Emphasizes precise adjustment and small margins.)
Antonyms
securely (Not easily disturbed or endangered.)
|
firmly (Stable and solid, not easily moved or changed.)
Collocations
delicately balanced
|delicately poised
|delicately placed
|delicately positioned
|delicately dependent
|delicately structured
|delicately maintained
|delicately adjusted
|delicately calibrated
|delicately arranged
Themes
business
|politics
|science
|risk
Examples
- The coalition was delicately held together by a single shared goal.
- The sculpture was delicately poised on a narrow base.
- The ecosystem is delicately balanced and vulnerable to small changes.
Learner examples
- The plan is delicately balanced.
- Their agreement is delicately maintained.
Grammar
Dictionary form
delicately
IPA
GB/dˈɛlɪkɪtli/
US/dˈɛlɪkɪtli/
Syllables & stress
del - ic - ately (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (del)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: delicately
- Plural: delicatelies
Word family
Expressions
broach (something) delicately
1/bɹˈoʊt͡ʃ sˈʌmθɪŋ dˈɛlɪkɪtli/
fixed phrase
formal
introduce a sensitive topic carefully
start talking about a difficult topic carefully
Examples
- She broached the subject of divorce delicately, waiting for his reaction.
- I tried to broach the issue delicately with my boss.
- The counselor broached the topic delicately to avoid overwhelming her.
delicately balanced
1/dˈɛlɪkɪtli bˈælənst/
fixed phrase
unstable but kept in balance
balanced but easy to disturb
Examples
- The peace agreement is delicately balanced and could collapse at any moment.
- The budget is delicately balanced between new spending and tax rises.
- Her health is delicately balanced after the operation.
handle (something) delicately
1/hˈændəl sˈʌmθɪŋ dˈɛlɪkɪtli/
fixed phrase
deal with something carefully
be very careful with something
Examples
- These files contain personal data, so handle them delicately.
- We need to handle the complaint delicately to keep the customer.
- Please handle the antique vase delicately.
to put it delicately
1/tə pˈʊt ˈɪt dˈɛlɪkɪtli/
idiom
say something less harshly
used before a polite way of saying something negative
Examples
- To put it delicately, your report needs a lot more work.
- He’s not the easiest person to work with, to put it delicately.
- To put it delicately, the dinner didn’t go as planned.
tread delicately
1/tɹˈɛd dˈɛlɪkɪtli/
fixed phrase
act carefully in a situation
be careful because the situation is sensitive
Examples
- After the layoffs, managers had to tread delicately with the remaining staff.
- She knew she needed to tread delicately around the topic of money.
- The journalist tread delicately when asking about the scandal.