dainty

dainty
I
(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)
adj. delicate, exquisite; fastidious, neat; delicious. See beauty, taste, care, food.
II
(Roget's IV) modif.
1. [Notable for fineness or fragility]
Syn. delicate, fragile, petite, frail, thin, light, pretty, beautiful, lovely, comely, well-made, attractive, graceful, fine, neat, choice, elegant, exquisite, trim, pleasing, tasteful, precious, tasty, delicious, appetizing, rare, soft, tender, feeble, airy, diaphanous, lacy, nice, darling, cute, sweet; see also charming , weak 1 , 2 .
Ant. coarse, rough*, gross.
2. [Having taste for dainty things]
Syn. refined, nice, fastidious, overnice; see particular 3 , refined 2 .
Syn.- dainty and delicate are both used to describe things that are pleasing to highly refined tastes or sensibilities, delicate implying fragility, subtlety, or fineness, and dainty suggesting smallness, fastidiousness, or gracefulness; exquisite is applied to something so delicately wrought or subtly refined as to be appreciated by only the most keenly discriminating or fastidious See also Synonym Study at particular .
III
(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) a.
1. delicate exquisite, charming, fine, fragile, precious, lovely, elegant, refined, graceful.
2. discriminating fussy, finicky, particular, fastidious, *persnickety, choosy, refined, overrefined.
ANT.: 1. rough, ugly, ponderous, *built like a brick shithouse, junky. 2. unparticular, easy to please
IV
(Roget's Thesaurus II) I adjective 1. Appealing to refined taste: choice, delicate, elegant, exquisite, fine1. See GOOD, INGESTION. 2. Very difficult to please: choosy, exacting, fastidious, finical, finicky, fussy, meticulous, nice, particular, persnickety, squeamish. Informal: picky. See ACCEPT. II noun Something fine and delicious, especially a food: delicacy, morsel, tidbit, treat. Informal: goody. See GOOD, INGESTION.

English dictionary for students. 2013.

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  • Dainty — Dain ty, a. [Compar. {Daintier}; superl. {Daintiest}.] 1. Rare; valuable; costly. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] Full many a deynt[ e] horse had he in stable. Chaucer. [1913 Webster] Note: Hence the proverb dainty maketh dearth, i. e., rarity makes a… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • dainty — [dān′tē] n. pl. dainties [ME deinte, excellent, fine, orig., feeling of esteem < Anglo Fr deinté < OFr deinté < L dignitas, worth, DIGNITY] a choice food; delicacy adj. daintier, daintiest 1. delicious and choice [a dainty morsel] 2.… …   English World dictionary

  • Dainty — Dain ty, n.; pl. {Dainties}. [OE. deinie, dainte, deintie, deyntee, OF. deinti[ e] delicacy, orig., dignity, honor, fr. L. dignitas, fr. dignus worthy. See {Deign}, and cf. {Dignity}.] 1. Value; estimation; the gratification or pleasure taken in… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • dainty — [adj1] delicate, fragile, fine airy, attractive, beautiful, bonny, charming, choice, comely, cute, darling, delectable, delicious, delightful, diaphanous, elegant, ethereal, exquisite, fair, feeble, frail, graceful, lacy, light, lovely, neat,… …   New thesaurus

  • dainty — 1 delicate, exquisite, *choice, elegant, recherché, rare Analogous words: petite, diminutive, little, *small: pretty, bonny, fair, lovely, *beautiful: *delightful, delectable, delicious Antonyms: gross Contrasted words: * …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • dainty — ► ADJECTIVE (daintier, daintiest) 1) delicately small and pretty. 2) fastidious and fussy when eating. ► NOUN (pl. dainties) ▪ a small appetizing item of food. DERIVATIVES daintily …   English terms dictionary

  • dainty — UK [ˈdeɪntɪ] / US adjective Word forms dainty : adjective dainty comparative daintier superlative daintiest 1) small and attractive in a delicate way dainty china cups 2) a dainty movement or action is small and graceful Mary took dainty bites… …   English dictionary

  • dainty — dain|ty1 [ˈdeınti] adj comparative daintier superlative daintiest 1.) small, pretty, and delicate ▪ a dainty gold chain ▪ a child with dainty features 2.) moving or done in a careful way, using small movements ▪ a dainty walk >daintily adv …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • dainty — {{11}}dainty (adj.) c.1300, delightful, pleasing, from DAINTY (Cf. dainty) (n.). Meaning evolved in Middle English to choice, excellent (late 14c.) to delicately pretty. {{12}}dainty (n.) c.1300, excellence, elegance; a luxury, from O.Fr. deintie …   Etymology dictionary

  • dainty — daintily, adv. daintiness, n. /dayn tee/, adj., daintier, daintiest, n., pl. dainties. adj. 1. of delicate beauty; exquisite: a dainty lace handkerchief. 2. pleasing to the taste and, often, temptingly served or delicate; delicious: dainty… …   Universalium

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