delicately

delicately — adverb

1. with gentle, precise physical movements that prevent breaking or harming somethi

1.adverbB2
Definition

with gentle, precise physical movements that prevent breaking or harming something fragile

Example

Liam lifted the old glass vase delicately and placed it on the high shelf.

position between compound verbs

The surgeon worked delicately to avoid damaging the tiny blood vessels.

delicately + to-infinitive purpose

Common collocations
  • delicately balanced
  • delicately carved
  • delicately handled
  • delicately placed
Synonyms
  • gently

    softer and broader in meaning; not limited to avoiding breakage

  • carefully

    more general; can apply to any cautious action, not only fragile objects

  • precisely

    focuses on exactness of movement rather than gentleness

Antonyms
  • roughly

    implies force that could cause breakage

  • clumsily

    implies lack of control that might damage objects

Grammar Patterns

verb + delicately

delicately + verb

Usage Note

Frequently appears with verbs of touch or handling such as lift, place, brush, handle, peel, or move. The object is typically something breakable, fragile, or easily harmed.

Common Mistakes

He delicately picked up the heavy moving box.
He carefully picked up the heavy moving box.
'delicately' suggests the object needs gentle handling because it is fragile; 'carefully' is correct for protecting oneself from a heavy object.
She spoke delicately about the broken glass.
She spoke carefully about the broken glass.
'delicately' describes the physical handling of fragile things, not cautious speech about danger.

2. with careful attention to people's feelings and reactions, so that no one is ups

2.adverbB2
Definition

with careful attention to people's feelings and reactions, so that no one is upset or insulted by what is said or done

Example

When Charlotte asked about the divorce, she chose her words delicately.

delicately with verb of choosing speech

The manager explained the layoffs delicately, choosing each word with care.

Common collocations
  • delicately phrased
  • delicately worded
  • delicately raised
  • delicately handled
Synonyms
  • tactfully

    emphasises knowing the right thing to say in a sensitive situation

  • diplomatically

    implies skill in handling relationships, especially between groups or parties

  • sensitively

    focuses on awareness of others' feelings, slightly broader than delicately

Antonyms
  • bluntly

    says things directly without softening the impact

  • tactlessly

    lacks awareness of how words might hurt or offend

Grammar Patterns

verb + delicately

delicately + verb

Usage Note

Commonly modifies verbs of communication — mention, ask, explain, raise, broach, phrase, word. The adverb implies both awareness of sensitivity and skill in navigating it successfully. Frequently used in professional or formal contexts.

Common Mistakes

She delicately told him he was fired, and he burst into tears.
She broke the news of his dismissal delicately, so he felt respected.
'delicately' implies the handling actually succeeds in avoiding or softening hurt, not merely attempting it.
He delicately demanded a raise.
He delicately brought up the topic of a raise.
'delicately' works better with gentle verbs like bring up or mention, not forceful ones like demand.

3. in a soft, light, or gentle manner that is pleasing to the senses, especially ta

3.adverbB2
Definition

in a soft, light, or gentle manner that is pleasing to the senses, especially taste, smell, touch, or sound

Example

The flowers in the garden smelled delicately sweet on the warm summer evening.

delicately + adjective of smell (sweet)

Piotr played the piano piece delicately, letting each note float through the quiet room.

Common collocations
  • delicately flavoured
  • delicately perfumed
  • delicately textured
  • delicately scented
Synonyms
  • softly

    focuses on low intensity of sound, touch, or light

  • lightly

    suggests a small amount or subtle presence, e.g. of a flavour or scent

  • subtly

    emphasises that the quality is present but not obvious or overpowering

Antonyms
  • harshly

    produces an unpleasant, strong effect on the senses

  • strongly

    intense or overpowering in flavour, smell, or effect

Grammar Patterns

delicately + adjective

verb + delicately

Usage Note

Common before adjectives in sensory descriptions (sweet, soft, light, fragrant). Also modifies verbs of sensory experience (smell, feel, taste, sound). This sense appears more often in descriptive writing than in everyday conversation.

Common Mistakes

The food was delicately spicy, burning my mouth.
The food was delicately flavoured, adding a hint of spice.
'delicately' with sensory words describes something pleasantly mild, not strong or intense.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

Delicately, gently, carefully, and precisely all describe controlled actions, but they differ in what they emphasise. Delicately is the narrowest — it specifically means moving in a gentle, controlled way because the object being handled is fragile or easily broken (a glass vase, a butterfly, pastry). Gently focuses on the softness of the touch itself, without necessarily implying the object is breakable (gently stroking a cat's fur). Carefully is the broadest — it covers any action where attention is paid to avoid mistakes or harm, whether the object is fragile (carefully packing a box), the situation is risky (carefully crossing a street), or the task requires focus (carefully reading instructions). Precisely highlights the accuracy and exactness rather than the softness of the movement (precisely cutting along a drawn line). Use delicately when fragility is the core concern; use carefully for general caution; use gently for softness without fragility; and use precisely when accuracy of movement matters more than gentleness.

delicately ↗gently ↗carefully ↗precisely ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

Phrases

  • with delicacy

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Delicately is formed by adding the adverb suffix -ly to the adjective delicate. Delicate entered English in the 14th century from Latin delicatus, meaning 'giving pleasure, delightful, dainty'. The original idea was something so fine or refined that it gave pleasure — a meaning that later branched into 'easily broken or harmed' (16th century) and 'requiring careful handling' (17th century). The adverb delicately inherited all three strands: the sense of gentle handling, the sense of social sensitivity, and the sense of pleasing softness.