adjective
dainty
DAYN-tee
adjective
1
Delicate, small, and pretty in an elegant way.
"She wore dainty lace gloves to the wedding."
"The cake was decorated with dainty sugar flowers."
2
Fussy or overly particular, especially about food.
"He's far too dainty to eat street food."
noun
1
A small, delicious treat or delicacy.
"The party spread was full of little dainties like mini quiches and pastries."
How to Use Dainty
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSmall, delicate, and elegant — or, for a person, fussy about what they'll eat or touch.
Common mistake
As a noun it means a nice little treat, not just "something small" in general.
Common pairings
a dainty little
dainty morsel
too dainty for
Word Forms
daintier comparative, dainties plural, daintiest superlative
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She wore _____ lace gloves to the wedding.
Etymology
From Old French deintié, going back to Latin dignitatem — the same root that gives us "dignity."