adjective
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a delicate balance (= easily damaged )
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Too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere upsets the delicate balance of gases.
a delicate subject (= one that may be embarrassing )
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She carefully avoided discussing the delicate subject of money.
delicate (= in which it would be very easy to upset people and cause the negotiations to fail )
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The company is about to start delicate negotiations with the union about next year's pay agreement.
delicate
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The plant produces delicate purple flowers.
delicate
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The flowers have a delicate perfume similar to cowslips.
delicate/subtle (= pleasant and not strong )
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The wine should be served cold so that it doesn’t lose any of its delicate flavour.
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADVERB
as
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Emperor Tetras are a quiet, peaceful fish and not as delicate as is sometimes thought.
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Between these, a hundred jellyfish as delicate and as translucent as rose petals pulsate like butterflies.
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He was very light, and his bones felt as delicate as a bird's.
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But her infirmities had caused her to be thought of as delicate , to be treated as a bit of an invalid.
more
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In Essex, the position was more delicate and less secure for the District.
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For others, the balance between satisfaction and survival is more delicate .
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Daniele Audetto was out of the same mould as Luca, but his job was now infinitely more delicate and difficult.
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Queequeg is seen to be more delicate and civilized than most of the Christians that Ishmael has known.
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Its head is more delicate and its tail less bushy.
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A big dray horse might be suited to haul a coal wagon, a more delicate saddle horse to recreational riding.
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But here in the valley lies a completely different countryside, smaller and more delicate .
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Is there a more delicate way of putting it?
most
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Which means that even the most delicate of dishes will rise to the occasion.
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They have a mania for getting at the most delicate parts of the engine.
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Unfortunately they are not all able to survive in an aquarium and some of the most colourful varieties are the most delicate .
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But instead of admonishing him, they were handling his ego as if it were the most delicate of flowers.
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Here MacLeod is able to activate the past by the most delicate retrieval.
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How can I when I know that even this body is a most delicate piece of machinery?
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Unfortunately they are also some of the most delicate .
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Her somnolent black eyes and tenderly pursed pink lips intrude upon the eggshell delicacy of her face with the most delicate affection.
so
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There had been stone dragons, and jade dragons so delicate that they disintegrated at a puff of breath.
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Not surprisingly, she advocates a balance, but one so delicate as to require almost daily adjustment.
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Amphibians are particularly vulnerable to hot and dry conditions because their skins are so delicate and permeable to water.
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Being so delicate , it is not available in large quantities commercially.
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The bowl of Rostov's was so delicate that he felt that if he closed his hand too suddenly it would shatter.
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Who but Ashton would have thought of giving this country yokel so delicate a movement?
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You could not be afraid of it, you could not possibly fear something so delicate and so insubstantial.
too
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But the delicious food had been too delicate for their hearty taste.
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Louis plane was too delicate to dismantle and assemble for each stop.
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The issues may be too delicate to handle or too difficult to put your finger on precisely.
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Other aromatic varieties are either too delicate to cultivate in Champagne or too late ripening to bear fruit.
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Even when the forms of such things as halberds or hoe-blades were rendered in jade they were too delicate for functional use.
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Claudel is bringing your little trinket back for some adjustments. Too delicate for us to handle.
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McPherson's lay-off found McCall with an unobstructed view of goal but the final attempt was too delicate and Verlinden saved easily.
very
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Her designs are classical and very delicate , mainly in 18-carat gold jewellery and set with precious stones and pearls.
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He had Reacher and the gunner lean out to watch the very delicate tail rotor.
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Watercolours of a very delicate or atmospheric style will exhibit greater subtlety when painted on Hot Pressed surfaces.
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Octopuses are very delicate animals that are sensitive to nitrogenous and other waste products of fish.
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His speech was never very delicate but Matilda was used to it.
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It was very delicate and prone to break down.
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I hope they can throw some light on a very delicate matter?
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I did some very delicate checking.
■ NOUN
area
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He knew she was nervous and that this reporter was pressing the superintendent on the most delicate areas of the investigation.
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Here we come to a delicate area .
balance
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Again, that may not sound much but it's more than enough to disrupt the delicate balance of different gases.
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For these folks, temperature control is a delicate balance .
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This is a delicate balance to strike.
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Good proposal writing is a delicate balance of presenting your intentions in dealing with your research problem.
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Adenosine helps regulate the delicate balance between blood flow and urine output.
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This delicate balance had to be maintained.
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They upset the delicate balance of interests on which high organizational performance is so often based.
face
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He has a delicate face , like a woman's, and his eyes are dark.
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Her eyes were huge and green and almond shaped, surprisingly catlike in her delicate face .
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He had large dark eyes, like pears set in port wine aspic, deep pools in a thin, delicate face .
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Hearing the noise of the car she turned and he saw a peaked, delicate face framed with red-gold hair.
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Marilyn Krnkka was a black-haired woman with a thin, delicate face .
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This was his supreme moment; yet his delicate face and sombre eyes remained impassive, showed no vestige of emotion.
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A blur of fair hair, a delicate face , young.
flavour
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Their skin is rough and sometimes striped, with a sweet and scented delicate flavour .
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Formosa Oolong A semi-fermented or oxidised tea with a delicate flavour .
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After centuries of crumbling gently before exciting our taste buds with your delicate flavour you have finally departed your origins.
hand
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She placed a small delicate hand on it and bade Miriam good-night.
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His face seemed so pale against the dark of her graceful, delicate hand .
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Her delicate hands began to shake.
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The macaques' delicate hands look remarkably human and are well adapted for grasping and holding objects.
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He sat quite still, his delicate hands folded in his lap.
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He saw her white, delicate hands .
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Small and soft, with little bones and delicate hands and feet.
issue
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Difficult as it may be, he should attempt to settle more delicate issues .
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On his list of things to do, these delicate issues hung suspended like icicles from a limb.
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There is also the associated and delicate issue of contact between internal reformers and reforming pressure groups.
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Flexibility can be a delicate issue , particularly in a work unit with an inflexible boss.
matter
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I hope they can throw some light on a very delicate matter ?
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Given that we have victims, we come to the delicate matter of breeding.
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Let us settle these delicate matters between ourselves.
negotiation
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Eurotunnel's prospects will only become apparent once the delicate negotiations with the banks and contractors have been completed.
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Five o'clock is the blessed hour after work and before decisions, the delicate negotiation on a public phone.
operation
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Security codes covering delicate operations have - even as we stand here - been altered.
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But that is a delicate operation .
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This can be a delicate operation since it is desirable that this card fill most of its allotted area.
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Friends have chipped in to raise £7,000 to pay for the delicate operation .
question
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These developments face the churches and theology with a whole series of difficult and delicate questions .
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The delicate question of which divinity is absorbing which is not always clear.
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The solution turns on delicate questions of the textual criticism of a few texts.
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No answer was immediately forthcoming to the delicate question but investigations will now doubtless continue amid fears of a Government cover-up.
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The controversy ran contemporaneous with a delicate question of authority.
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I raise the delicate question he's been avoiding.
skin
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The sun can easily damage a child's delicate skin .
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Stephen lurched and pushed against her, bumping painfully on her, grinding his pelvis into the delicate skin of her crutch.
task
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His hand stung and his head hurt and he felt in no shape to begin the delicate task of restarting their relationship.
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I had the immense and delicate task of restoring confidence in Kambawe.
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Harvesting is a delicate task requiring deft fingers and precision, for which women are supposed by nature to be peculiarly suited.
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Unravelling these consequences and deciding which merit assessment is an exceptionally delicate task .
touch
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Pascoe noticed how nimble his hands were: long fingers, a delicate touch .
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Smooth as oiled silk, his skin excited her delicate touch .
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She squirmed at the delicate touch and even the wall at her back felt sensuous.
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He had a surprisingly delicate touch and the silver star was going to look beautiful when it was finished.
work
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He says that it's been very delicate work , but they think that they have found all the bones.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
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delicate pinks and blues
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a delicate gold necklace
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Clare was more active than her brother, who had always been a delicate child.
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I am seeking your professional advice on a very delicate matter.
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Madeline was wondering how to approach the delicate question of her salary with her new boss.
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Mr Humphreys wife was delicate - the doctor was called in once or twice a week.
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Mrs. Archer extended her delicate hand.
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Salmon has quite a delicate flavour, and it should not be over-cooked.
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The delicate blossoms resemble lace.
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The delicate operation took more than six hours.
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The delicate scent of roses hung in the air.
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The china has a delicate pattern of leaves.
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The fish was served with a delicate mushroom sauce.
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The tea was served in delicate china cups.
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This soup has a marvellous, delicate fragrance and a slightly sweet taste.
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Troy was a delicate child who spend most of his time indoors.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
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Matched brass florets mark the corners of the three leather volumes that contain them, and delicate brass chains fasten their bindings.
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Sabine sampled the soup, and found the flavour surprisingly delicate .
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The delicate glasses had felt thick and awkward in her hands, soft as putty but covered in cutting edges.
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The story of that day unfolds in a way that is delicate , deliberate and emotionally telling.
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This must come by the delicate interaction of her own willed effort and the creative understanding which Hilton calls grace.
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Unfortunately they are not all able to survive in an aquarium and some of the most colourful varieties are the most delicate .
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We need to be aware, however, that the school environment is a delicate ecosystem, highly sensitive to political whim.