· exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing; susceptible to injury; "a delicate violin passage"; "delicate china"; "a delicate flavor"; "the delicate wing of a butterfly"

Antonym(s): rugged

· marked by great skill especially in meticulous technique; "a surgeon's delicate touch"

· easily broken or damaged or destroyed; "a kite too delicate to fly safely"; "fragile porcelain plates"; "fragile old bones"; "a frail craft"

Synonym(s): fragile, frail

· easily hurt; "soft hands"; "a baby's delicate skin"

Synonym(s): soft

· developed with extreme delicacy and subtlety; "the satire touches with finespun ridicule every kind of human pretense"

Synonym(s): finespun

· difficult to handle; requiring great tact; "delicate negotiations with the big powers";"hesitates to be explicit on so ticklish a matter"; "a touchy subject"

Synonym(s): ticklish, touchy

· of an instrument or device; capable of registering minute differences or changes precisely; "almost undetectable with even the most delicate instruments"