delicately
gb/dˈɛlɪkɪtli/ us/dˈɛlɪkɪtli/
B1
Английский
óvatosan, gyengéden, tapintatosan, finoman, kecsesen, törékenyen, kényes egyensúlyban
B1
1
Модель употребления:
[do something] delicately; handle/touch [something] delicately
She lifted the sleeping baby delicately so she wouldn’t wake him.
Óvatosan emelte fel az alvó kisbabát, nehogy felébressze.
Remove the foil delicately to avoid tearing the pastry.
Óvatosan vedd le a fóliát, nehogy elszakadjon a tészta.
He touched the bruise delicately and winced.
Примеры для изучающих
Please handle the glass delicately.
Kérlek, óvatosan bánj a pohárral.
She held the bird delicately in her hands.
Gyengéden tartotta a madarat a kezében.
Частая ошибка:
Learners sometimes use it where only 'carefully' is meant; 'delicately' often implies fragility or gentleness.
Значение
gently and with great care
Коллокации
handle delicately
|touch delicately
|lift delicately
|place delicately
|pick up delicately
|move delicately
|hold delicately
|remove delicately
|wipe delicately
|set down delicately
Синонимы
gently (Emphasizes softness and light force.)
|
carefully (Emphasizes attention and avoiding mistakes.)
|
gingerly (Emphasizes caution because something may break or hurt.)
Антонимы
roughly (With too much force or without care.)
|
clumsily (Without skill or control.)
Темы
daily_life
|objects
|health
Определение
in a gentle and careful way
In a gentle, careful way that avoids damage, pain, or disturbance.
B2
2
tapintatosan
B2
finoman
A2
Модель употребления:
speak/ask/raise/mention [something] delicately
She tried to bring up the salary issue delicately.
Tapintatosan próbálta felhozni a fizetés kérdését.
He delicately suggested that the plan might need a rethink.
Tapintatosan felvetette, hogy talán újra kellene gondolni a tervet.
The doctor explained the results delicately but clearly.
Примеры для изучающих
I spoke delicately about her mistake.
Tapintatosan beszéltem a hibájáról.
He asked delicately about my age.
Tapintatosan rákérdezett az életkoromra.
Частая ошибка:
Not the same as 'politely' in general; it’s used when the topic is awkward or personal.
Значение
tactfully about sensitive topics
Коллокации
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
Синонимы
tactfully (Directly focuses on avoiding offense.)
|
diplomatically (Often used for disagreements or negotiations.)
|
sensitively (Emphasizes awareness of feelings.)
Антонимы
bluntly (In a direct way that may sound rude.)
|
tactlessly (Without sensitivity to others’ feelings.)
Темы
communication
|relationships
|emotions
Определение
in a polite, careful way about something sensitive
In a tactful, sensitive way that avoids offending or upsetting someone.
B2
3
finoman
A2
Модель употребления:
delicately + [flavoured/scented/coloured/patterned/shaded]
The fish was delicately flavoured with lemon and herbs.
A halat finoman ízesítették citrommal és zöldfűszerekkel.
The room was delicately scented with jasmine.
A szobát finom jázminillat lengte be.
The scarf was delicately patterned in pale blue and grey.
Примеры для изучающих
The soup is delicately spiced.
A leves finoman fűszerezett.
The candle is delicately scented.
A gyertya finoman illatozik.
Частая ошибка:
Don’t confuse with 'deliciously' (tasty). 'Delicately' often means subtle, not strong.
Значение
with a light, subtle quality
Коллокации
delicately flavoured
|delicately scented
|delicately perfumed
|delicately spiced
|delicately sweet
|delicately coloured
|delicately patterned
|delicately shaded
|delicately tinted
|delicately lit
Синонимы
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.)
Антонимы
strongly (With a powerful taste, smell, or effect.)
|
heavily (With too much added flavour/colour or too intense an effect.)
Темы
food
|art_design
|sensory
Определение
in a light or gentle way (taste, smell, colour)
In a way that is light, fine, or subtle in taste, smell, colour, or appearance.
B2
4
Модель употребления:
move/step/smile/gesture delicately
She stepped delicately across the wet stones.
Kecsesen lépdelt át a nedves köveken.
He smiled delicately and changed the subject.
Finoman elmosolyodott, majd témát váltott.
The ballerina moved delicately, almost floating.
Примеры для изучающих
She walked delicately in high heels.
Kecsesen járt magas sarkú cipőben.
He moved delicately like a dancer.
Kecsesen mozgott, akár egy táncos.
Частая ошибка:
This use is about style and grace, not only about being careful with fragile things.
Значение
in a graceful, refined way
Коллокации
move delicately
|step delicately
|walk delicately
|dance delicately
|smile delicately
|gesture delicately
|rest delicately
|sit delicately
|laugh delicately
|hold delicately
Синонимы
gracefully (More general; not necessarily small or fine.)
|
daintily (Often suggests small, fine, or traditionally feminine grace.)
Антонимы
awkwardly (Without grace or ease.)
|
heavily (With weight or lack of lightness.)
Темы
body_language
|arts
|social_life
Определение
in a graceful, gentle way
In a graceful, refined, or dainty way, especially in movement or expression.
C1
5
Модель употребления:
delicately + [balanced/poised/placed/positioned]; [be] delicately [dependent/structured]
The coalition was delicately held together by a single shared goal.
A koalíciót mindössze egyetlen közös cél tartotta törékeny egységben.
The sculpture was delicately poised on a narrow base.
A szobor kényes egyensúlyban állt egy keskeny talapzaton.
The ecosystem is delicately balanced and vulnerable to small changes.
Примеры для изучающих
The plan is delicately balanced.
A terv kényes egyensúlyra épül.
Their agreement is delicately maintained.
Megállapodásukat törékeny egyensúlyban tartják fenn.
Частая ошибка:
Often used with 'balanced' or 'poised' to show something could easily go wrong.
Значение
in a fragile, precarious way
Коллокации
delicately balanced
|delicately poised
|delicately placed
|delicately positioned
|delicately dependent
|delicately structured
|delicately maintained
|delicately adjusted
|delicately calibrated
|delicately arranged
Синонимы
precariously (Emphasizes danger of failure or collapse.)
|
finely (Emphasizes precise adjustment and small margins.)
Антонимы
securely (Not easily disturbed or endangered.)
|
firmly (Stable and solid, not easily moved or changed.)
Темы
business
|politics
|science
|risk
Определение
in a way that can easily change or fail
In a way that is finely adjusted and easily upset, changed, or harmed.
Грамматика
Словарная форма
delicately
IPA
GB/dˈɛlɪkɪtli/
US/dˈɛlɪkɪtli/
Слоги и ударение
del - ic - ately (3 слога)
Stress on 1st syllable (del)
Формы слова
Noun
- Base: delicately
- Plural: delicatelies
Родственные слова
Выражения
broach (something) delicately
1/bɹˈoʊt͡ʃ sˈʌmθɪŋ dˈɛlɪkɪtli/
fixed phrase
formal
introduce a sensitive topic carefully
start talking about a difficult topic carefully
Примеры
- 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.
Примеры для изучающих
- He broached the topic delicately.
- She broached it delicately with her parents.
delicately balanced
1/dˈɛlɪkɪtli bˈælənst/
fixed phrase
unstable but kept in balance
balanced but easy to disturb
Примеры
- 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.
Примеры для изучающих
- Their relationship is delicately balanced.
- The plan is delicately balanced.
handle (something) delicately
1/hˈændəl sˈʌmθɪŋ dˈɛlɪkɪtli/
fixed phrase
deal with something carefully
be very careful with something
Примеры
- 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.
Примеры для изучающих
- Handle the glass delicately.
- We must handle this problem delicately.
to put it delicately
1/tə pˈʊt ˈɪt dˈɛlɪkɪtli/
idiom
say something less harshly
used before a polite way of saying something negative
Примеры
- 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.
Примеры для изучающих
- To put it delicately, I disagree.
- To put it delicately, it was a bad idea.
tread delicately
1/tɹˈɛd dˈɛlɪkɪtli/
fixed phrase
act carefully in a situation
be careful because the situation is sensitive
Примеры
- 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.
Примеры для изучающих
- I have to tread delicately with this issue.
- We should tread delicately around him today.