dainty

[ deyn-tee ]
See synonyms for: daintydaintierdaintiesdaintily on Thesaurus.com

adjective,dain·ti·er, dain·ti·est.
  1. of delicate beauty; exquisite: a dainty lace handkerchief.

  2. pleasing to the taste and, often, temptingly served or delicate; delicious: dainty pastries.

  1. of delicate discrimination or taste; particular: a dainty eater.

  2. overly particular; finicky; fastidious.

noun,plural dain·ties.
  1. something delicious to the taste; a delicacy.

Origin of dainty

1
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English noun deinte, dainte, dente “worthiness, happiness, delicacy,” from Anglo-French deinte, Old French deint(i)e, from Latin dignitāt- (stem of dignitās ); the adjective is derivative of the noun; see dignity

synonym study For dainty

1. See delicate. 3. See particular.

Other words for dainty

Other words from dainty

  • dain·ti·ly, adverb
  • dain·ti·ness, noun
  • o·ver·dain·ti·ness, noun
  • o·ver·dain·ty, adjective
  • su·per·dain·ty, adjective
  • un·dain·ti·ness, noun
  • un·dain·ty, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use dainty in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for dainty

dainty

/ (ˈdeɪntɪ) /


adjective-tier or -tiest
  1. delicate or elegant: a dainty teacup

  2. pleasing to the taste; choice; delicious: a dainty morsel

  1. refined, esp excessively genteel; fastidious

nounplural -ties
  1. a choice piece of food, esp a small cake or sweet; delicacy

Origin of dainty

1
C13: from Old French deintié, from Latin dignitās dignity

Derived forms of dainty

  • daintily, adverb
  • daintiness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012