adverb
delicately
DEH-lih-kuht-lee
adverb
1
In a careful, gentle, or fragile manner.
"She delicately placed the antique teacup back on its shelf."
2
With tact, especially when handling a sensitive topic.
"He delicately raised the issue of her recent absences."
How to Use Delicately
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishDoing something gently and carefully, or handling a sensitive topic with tact.
Common pairings
delicately balanced
delicately worded
handled delicately
Word Forms
more delicately comparative, most delicately superlative
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “delicately”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
She _____ placed the antique teacup back on its shelf.