İngilizce

delicately

gb/dˈɛlɪkɪtli/ us/dˈɛlɪkɪtli/
B1 İngilizce
Anlamlar
0 anlam
adverb B1 property
1

gently and with great care

in a gentle and careful way

Kullanım kalıbı: [do something] delicately; handle/touch [something] delicately
Sık yapılan hata:
Learners sometimes use it where only 'carefully' is meant; 'delicately' often implies fragility or gentleness.
Eş anlamlılar
gently (Emphasizes softness and light force.) | carefully (Emphasizes attention and avoiding mistakes.) | gingerly (Emphasizes caution because something may break or hurt.)
Zıt anlamlılar
roughly (With too much force or without care.) | clumsily (Without skill or control.)
Eşdizimler
handle delicately |touch delicately |lift delicately |place delicately |pick up delicately |move delicately |hold delicately |remove delicately |wipe delicately |set down delicately
Konular
daily_life |objects |health
Örnekler
  • 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.
Öğrenenler için örnekler
  • 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

Kullanım kalıbı: speak/ask/raise/mention [something] delicately
Sık yapılan hata:
Not the same as 'politely' in general; it’s used when the topic is awkward or personal.
Eş anlamlılar
tactfully (Directly focuses on avoiding offense.) | diplomatically (Often used for disagreements or negotiations.) | sensitively (Emphasizes awareness of feelings.)
Zıt anlamlılar
bluntly (In a direct way that may sound rude.) | tactlessly (Without sensitivity to others’ feelings.)
Eşdizimler
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
Konular
communication |relationships |emotions
Örnekler
  • 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.
Öğrenenler için örnekler
  • 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)

Kullanım kalıbı: delicately + [flavoured/scented/coloured/patterned/shaded]
Sık yapılan hata:
Don’t confuse with 'deliciously' (tasty). 'Delicately' often means subtle, not strong.
Eş anlamlılar
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.)
Zıt anlamlılar
strongly (With a powerful taste, smell, or effect.) | heavily (With too much added flavour/colour or too intense an effect.)
Eşdizimler
delicately flavoured |delicately scented |delicately perfumed |delicately spiced |delicately sweet |delicately coloured |delicately patterned |delicately shaded |delicately tinted |delicately lit
Konular
food |art_design |sensory
Örnekler
  • 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.
Öğrenenler için örnekler
  • The soup is delicately spiced.
  • The candle is delicately scented.
adverb B2 property
4

in a graceful, refined way

in a graceful, gentle way

Kullanım kalıbı: move/step/smile/gesture delicately
Sık yapılan hata:
This use is about style and grace, not only about being careful with fragile things.
Eş anlamlılar
gracefully (More general; not necessarily small or fine.) | daintily (Often suggests small, fine, or traditionally feminine grace.)
Zıt anlamlılar
awkwardly (Without grace or ease.) | heavily (With weight or lack of lightness.)
Eşdizimler
move delicately |step delicately |walk delicately |dance delicately |smile delicately |gesture delicately |rest delicately |sit delicately |laugh delicately |hold delicately
Konular
body_language |arts |social_life
Örnekler
  • She stepped delicately across the wet stones.
  • He smiled delicately and changed the subject.
  • The ballerina moved delicately, almost floating.
Öğrenenler için örnekler
  • 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

Kullanım kalıbı: delicately + [balanced/poised/placed/positioned]; [be] delicately [dependent/structured]
Sık yapılan hata:
Often used with 'balanced' or 'poised' to show something could easily go wrong.
Eş anlamlılar
precariously (Emphasizes danger of failure or collapse.) | finely (Emphasizes precise adjustment and small margins.)
Zıt anlamlılar
securely (Not easily disturbed or endangered.) | firmly (Stable and solid, not easily moved or changed.)
Eşdizimler
delicately balanced |delicately poised |delicately placed |delicately positioned |delicately dependent |delicately structured |delicately maintained |delicately adjusted |delicately calibrated |delicately arranged
Konular
business |politics |science |risk
Örnekler
  • 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.
Öğrenenler için örnekler
  • The plan is delicately balanced.
  • Their agreement is delicately maintained.
Dil bilgisi
Sözlük biçimi
delicately
IPA
GB/dˈɛlɪkɪtli/
US/dˈɛlɪkɪtli/
Heceler ve vurgu
del - ic - ately (3 hece)
Stress on 1st syllable (del)
Kelime biçimleri
Noun
  • Base: delicately
  • Plural: delicatelies
Kelime ailesi
Forms
delicatelies noun
Core family
delicate adjective A2 delicacy noun B1
Negative and opposite forms
indelicate adjective indelicately adverb
Advanced or less common
delicateness noun
İfadeler

broach (something) delicately

1
/bɹˈoʊt͡ʃ sˈʌmθɪŋ dˈɛlɪkɪtli/
fixed phrase formal

introduce a sensitive topic carefully

start talking about a difficult topic carefully

Örnekler
  • 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

Örnekler
  • 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

Örnekler
  • 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

Örnekler
  • 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

Örnekler
  • 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.

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