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# delicately

«delicately» in Mova's school dictionary: **Gently and carefully, so as not to break or hurt…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 2 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

adverb (delicately; more delicately)

### meaning for a pupil

1) Gently and carefully, so as not to break or hurt something: «She held the eggshell delicately». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/delicately/#m1)

2) In a fine, light and graceful way: «delicately painted flowers». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/delicately/#m2)

3) Tactfully, with care not to upset anyone: «He delicately asked about her illness». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/delicately/#m3)

4) (food) With a light, gentle flavour: «delicately spiced». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/delicately/#m4)

### sense in the lessons

In science and practical work, pupils handle fragile things such as glassware, insects or seedlings delicately. In art, delicately drawn lines are thin and light. In stories and PSHE, people speak delicately about sad or private topics. Phrases: «handle delicately», «delicately balanced», «put it delicately».

### examples

- She delicately lifted the butterfly onto a leaf. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/delicately/#x1)
- The vase was delicately painted with tiny birds. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/delicately/#x2)
- Handle the test tubes delicately. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/delicately/#x3)
- The teacher delicately asked if everything was all right at home. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/delicately/#x4)
- The soup was delicately flavoured with herbs. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/delicately/#x5)
- How can I put this delicately? Your shoes smell! [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/delicately/#x6)
- The rock was delicately balanced on the cliff edge. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/delicately/#x7)
- She was still half a child and very delicately built; she had bright blue eyes, and a gentle, sweet expression. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/delicately/#x8)

### note

From the adjective «delicate» + -ly (no extra e dropped: delicate → delicately). Said «DEL-ih-kut-lee». «To put it delicately» is a polite way to start saying something awkward.

### In the corpora

- [An elephant's trunk has tens of thousands of muscle bundles and can hold things as delicately as fingers.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/236-animal-minds-elephants-memory-feelings-and-the-mouse-myth/9/)
- [He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child shall have him become master at the last.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/jps/PRO.853/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «delicately» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/delicately/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.