dainty
/ˈdeɪnti
/adjective (daintier, daintiest)
1Delicately small and pretty: a dainty lace handkerchief the china cup seemed too dainty in his large hands...
- Carefully she pulled the dress over her undergarments, and lightly slid her feet into the dainty shoes that her mother had once bought her.
- In the medieval ages, knights displayed dainty handkerchiefs given to them by their lady-love.
- Katrina held up a light blue diamond flower, which hung delicately from a dainty chain.
1.1(Of a person) delicate and graceful in build or movement: he is one of the daintiest players in the game...
- Mona always said that she was fat, when in reality, she was dainty with a slight build.
- She is dainty and makes people feel protective of her.
- At first I had named her for the little bird because she was so dainty; then I found out her other virtue and her name applied even better.
Synonyms
delicate, neat, refined, tasteful, fine, elegant, exquisite;
graceful, petite, slight, slim, trim, pretty
British informal dinky
1.2(Of food) particularly good to eat and served in a small portion: a dainty morsel...
- I sipped pink punch, ate dainty sugar cakes with strawberries on top, and stayed at Tom's side every moment.
- The ability to cut very thin bread was greatly prized and dainty bread and butter was often served for afternoon tea.
- Now is the chance to prove to your acquaintances that the days of small cucumber sandwiches and dainty cakes have not gone for good!
Synonyms
tasty, delicious, choice, palatable, luscious, mouth-watering, delectable, toothsome, succulent, juicy;
appetizing, inviting, tempting
informal scrumptious, yummy, scrummy, finger-licking, moreish
literary ambrosial
2Fastidious, especially concerning food: a dainty appetite...
- I rang up Luke to ask if I was being too dainty in thinking it ghoulish to market a film of somebody contracting a deadly disease.
- Major news outlets are hardly inclined to be up in arms about the government's record of deception when they remain so dainty about critiquing their own.
- Apparently, some dainty fans' feelings were so very hurt.
Synonyms
fastidious, fussy, hard to please, finicky, finical, faddish, squeamish;
refined, particular, discriminating, discerning, critical, exacting, demanding, scrupulous, meticulous, careful, cautious
informal choosy, pernickety, picky
British informal faddy
archaic nice
noun (plural dainties)
Something good to eat; a delicacy: home-made breads, jams, and dainties...
- Still lifes usually show beautiful vessels filled with wine and appetizing fruit or other dainties invitingly arranged on lovely china.
- They had not found a real place in a set meal, except among the miscellaneous sweetmeats offered as dainties at the end.
- We feasted on shrimp, crawfish, pralines, and other dainties.
Synonyms
delicacy, tasty morsel, titbit, fancy, luxury, treat, nibble, savoury, appetizer, bonne bouche, confection, bonbon;
North American tidbit
informal goody
archaic sweetmeat
Derivatives
daintily
/ adverb ...- This is a place to giggle quietly, nibble daintily and sip tea.
- I find her at a table with her family, daintily slurping up pasta.
- Yellow-dyed sparkling wine was on offer in plastic glasses daintily adorned with coloured ribbon.
daintiness
/ noun ...- If the council's paternalistic tradition is one cause of this seemingly excessive moral daintiness, then so too are the city's religious leanings.
- I'm not a big person, mind you, but next to her daintiness I'm a clodhopper with elephantiasis.
- And then he compounded that mistake by eating it with excessive daintiness.
Origin
Middle English (as noun): from Old French daintie, deintie 'choice morsel, pleasure', from Latin dignitas 'worthiness or beauty', from dignus 'worthy'.