Meaning & use
delicacy
Last updated
A food considered especially rare, luxurious, or delicious; also, fineness or fragility.
See it in a sentence
Caviar is considered a delicacy in many cultures.
The diplomat handled the sensitive negotiation with great delicacy.
A note on using this word
Delicacy has two distinct common uses: a prized food item, and the quality of being tactful, gentle, or fragile.
Words with a similar meaning
treatfineness
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
crudeness
Another way to use it
2. noun
Tact, sensitivity, or gentleness in handling a situation.
She raised the difficult topic with unusual delicacy.
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