exquisiteex‧qui‧site /ɪkˈskwɪzət, ˈekskwɪ-/ ●○○ adjective 
Word Origin
the most exquisite craftsmanship► see thesaurus at beautiful2very sensitive and delicate in the way you behave or do things: She has exquisite taste in art.3literary exquisite pain or pleasure is felt very strongly—exquisitely adverb—exquisiteness noun [uncountable]
Word OriginWORD ORIGINexquisite
ExamplesOrigin:
1500-1600 Latin exquisitus, past participle of exquirere ‘to search out’, from quaerere ‘to look for’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- an exquisite handcarved ivory brooch
- an exquisite piece of jewelry
- Dessert at Bellino's was exquisite.
- Miller is an exquisite dancer.
- The sets and costumes for the dance performance were exquisite.
- Across the plaza is another exquisite colonial building, which houses the offices of the state government.
- As Karl had commanded, she had seen that the table looked exquisite.
- Her daughter's face was exquisite even when she was terrified.
- Jane had worn an exquisite taupe chiffon Brac, and she looked magnificent, and the girls looked innocent and sweet.
- My manners are exquisite, my feelings are delicate, my gestures refined, my moods undetectable.
- She was the one who gained by the exquisite experience, wasn't she?
- The church is full of exquisite works of craftmanship which have been donated by individuals and by air forces.
THESAURUSplace/thing etc► beautiful
Collocations used to describe something that looks, feels, sounds etc so good that it gives you a lot of pleasure: · a beautiful tropical beach· a beautiful song· The weather was beautiful.
► lovely spoken used when saying that something looks, feels, or sounds very nice: · What a lovely day!· a lovely voice· a lovely perfume
► pretty pleasant to look at – often used about things that are not big or impressive: · a pretty little pink dress· a pretty village
► attractive pleasant to look at. Attractive sounds more formal than pretty: · an attractive white-painted cottage with green shutters· an attractive city
► magnificent very big, beautiful, and impressive – used about buildings, objects, and views: · The Taj Mahal always looks magnificent.· a magnificent Persian carpet· There were magnificent views over the old city.
► picturesque written pleasant to look at – used in written descriptions of towns, buildings, and places: · the picturesque harbour town of Castleton· Regensburg Cathedral occupies a picturesque position on the River Danube in Bavaria.
► stunning/breathtaking extremely beautiful and impressive – used especially about views: · All around is a stunning view of Cape Town.· The landscape is breathtaking.
► exquisite used to describe things that have very beautiful small details, especially things that have been made with a lot of skill: · an exquisite piece of jewellery· an exquisite flower· an exquisite picture of a bird of paradise
► elegant designed in a way that looks very attractive and has a lot of style: · an elegant Neo-Classical building· a long and elegant staircase
Longman Language Activatorthing/building► beautiful also lovely especially British use this about a thing or building that looks extremely good, and gives you a feeling of pleasure: · "Do you like the house?" "Like it? It's beautiful!"· Thanks for the flowers - they're lovely!· This is one of Europe's loveliest churches.
► pretty use this about an object that is small and delicate, or things in your home such as curtains and carpets: · The room was decorated with pretty wallpaper with yellow flowers on it.· What a pretty watch!
► magnificent very beautiful and very impressive - use this about a large and impressive building or piece of furniture, especially an old one: · The room was dominated by a magnificent four-poster bed.· a magnificent 15th century castle
► superb extremely beautiful and of the highest quality: · The lilies we got from the flower market were absolutely superb.· a superb collection of Chinese porcelain· In the center of the crown is a superb diamond.
► gorgeous especially British, spoken use this about a beautiful thing that you admire very much: · I love your dress! It's such a gorgeous colour!· The apartment had been furnished in rich, deep colors and gorgeous fabrics.
► exquisite very beautiful - use this about jewellery or other things that have been designed with a lot of care and made with a lot of skill: · an exquisite handcarved ivory brooch· The sets and costumes for the dance performance were exquisite.
► elegant use this about a building, a piece of furniture, or a piece of clothing that is beautifully designed in a simple but usually expensive way: · We first met him at an elegant hotel in the uptown district of Manhattan.· an elegant rosewood dining table· She was wearing an elegant black suit.
► attractive pleasant to look at: · Kitchen utensils should be attractive as well as functional.· This attractive book is an ideal gift for any young baseball fan.
► lovely especially British pleasant to look at: · The dress was such a lovely colour, a deep blue that really suited her.· It was a lovely big house with a big garden out the back.
► splendid written something such as a building, piece of furniture, or work of art that is splendid is beautiful and impressive: · In the centre of the room was a splendid 18th century oak table.· Wealthy nobles inhabited splendid villas in the surrounding countryside.
► stunning something that is stunning is very beautiful so that everyone notices and admires it: · Rafaella wore a stunning white satin wedding gown.· Knox's metal statues are stunning.
► artistic an arrangement, design etc that is artistic looks attractive and has been done with skill and imagination: · I love your Christmas decorations - they're very artistic.· The food was presented in an artistic way.
dressed, arranged, decorated etc in a beautiful way► beautifully · This is a beautifully illustrated book.· The flowers were placed in a beautifully decorated vase.· "What do you think about the garden?" "You've done it beautifully!"
► prettily in a way that is pleasant to look at: · Helen is always prettily dressed.· Marie arranged the radishes prettily on a plate.
► attractively in a way that makes something very pleasant to look at, especially in order to make people want it: · We hope to sell goods by packaging them attractively.· All her friends were younger, prettier and more attractively dressed.
► elegantly in a beautiful way that is simple, but usually expensive: · Tom's mother was an elegantly dressed gray-haired woman.· The bedroom was elegantly decorated with deep-blue and gold wallpaper.
► exquisitely in a very delicate, careful, and beautiful way: · In the box was a pair of exquisitely shaped old earrings.· The tiny china doll was exquisitely ornate.
► artistically in a way that looks attractive and has been done with a lot of skill and imagination: · Red and blue flowers were artistically arranged to form a pattern.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB► most
1extremely beautiful and very delicately made: · My children cause me the most exquisite suffering of which I have any experience.· A tiny spider overnight built a most exquisite net over my table.· Honor thought she was the most exquisite girl she had ever seen and her heart sank lower than ever.· However that was, he labored long and devotedly on the statue and produced a most exquisite work of art.· A bedspread of the most exquisite, intaglio velvet was clutched round her shoulders.· Yet it is all ordered and organized in the most exquisite manner.· It was perfection, and displayed the most exquisite jewellery so brilliantly.· Five unmarried Clifford daughters lingered in this garden under these trees and painted the most exquisite water-colours during the mid-nineteenth century.
the most exquisite craftsmanship► see thesaurus at beautiful2very sensitive and delicate in the way you behave or do things: She has exquisite taste in art.3literary exquisite pain or pleasure is felt very strongly—exquisitely adverb—exquisiteness noun [uncountable]