Meaning & use
dainty
Delicately small, pretty, or elegant, often in a way that suggests fragility or careful refinement.
See it in a sentence
She served tea in dainty porcelain cups decorated with tiny painted flowers.
The bird took dainty steps across the lawn, pausing to peck at seeds.
A note on using this word
Used of a person's eating habits, dainty (a dainty eater) can carry a mildly critical tone of excessive fussiness.
Words with a similar meaning
delicateexquisitepetite
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
clumsycoarse
Another way to use it
2. noun
A small, delicate item of food regarded as a delicacy or treat.
The tray was covered with dainties such as tiny iced cakes and pastries.
Make it your own
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