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delicacy

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delicacy

  • /ˈdɛlɪkəsi/ UK

Where it comes from

From Middle English delicacie, from Middle English delicat, from Latin delicatus. Equivalent to delic(ate) + -acy.

noun delicacies

  1. countable, uncountable The quality of being delicate. […] for unless a matter be true enough to stand a good deal of misrepresentation, its truth is not of a very robust order, and the blame will rather lie with its own delicacy than with the carelessness of the crusher.
  2. countable, uncountable Something appealing, usually a pleasing food, especially a choice dish of a certain culture suggesting rarity and refinement. a Chinese delicacy

    Similar: ambrosia

  3. countable, uncountable Fineness or elegance of construction or appearance.
  4. countable, uncountable Frailty of health or fitness.
  5. countable, uncountable Refinement in taste or discrimination.
  6. countable, uncountable Tact and propriety; the need for such tact.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: daintiness, dainty, kickshaw, fineness, finesse, slightness, discreetness, discretion, fragility, treat, diplomacy, airiness, goody, delight, gentleness, subtlety

Translations

Every language

noun quality of being delicate

Españoldelicadeza
हिन्दीकोमलता komaltā, सौम्यता saumyatā
Portuguêsdelicadeza
Françaisdélicatesse
DeutschFeinheit, Zartheit, Empfindlichkeit, Zerbrechlichkeit
Italianodelicatezza
Русскийделика́тность delikátnostʹ, утончённость utončónnostʹ

noun something appealing, especially a pleasing food

Españolmanjar
한국어진미 jinmi, 미미 mimi
日本語珍味 chinmi, 美味 bimi, デリカシー derikashī
中文美味 měiwèi, 珍味 zhēnwèi, 美食 měishí, 珍饈 /珍馐 zhēnxiū, 佳餚 /佳肴 jiāyáo, 嘉殽 /嘉淆 jiāyáo
Portuguêsiguaria, guloseima
Françaisgourmandise
DeutschDelikatesse, Leckerbissen, Köstlichkeit
Italianoprelibatezza, leccornia, squisitezza
Русскийделикате́с delikatɛ́s, ла́комство lákomstvo
Tiếng Việtmỹ vị
עבריתמַעֲדָן ma'adan, מַטְעָם mat'ám

noun elegance of construction or appearance

Portuguêsfineza
Русскийутончённость utončónnostʹ

noun refinement in taste

Portuguêsrefinamento, fineza
DeutschDelikatesse
Русскийутончённость utončónnostʹ, изы́сканность izýskannostʹ

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Cite this
MLA

"delicacy." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/delicacy. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

delicacy. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/delicacy

Chicago

"delicacy." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/delicacy.

BibTeX
@misc{delicacy_2026,
  title = {delicacy},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/delicacy},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}