exquisite
Americanadjective
-
of special beauty or charm, or rare and appealing excellence, as a face, a flower, coloring, music, or poetry.
-
extraordinarily fine or admirable; consummate.
exquisite weather.
- Antonyms:
- ordinary
-
intense; acute, or keen, as pleasure or pain.
- Synonyms:
- poignant
- Antonyms:
- dull
-
of rare excellence of production or execution, as works of art or workmanship.
the exquisite statues of the Renaissance.
-
keenly or delicately sensitive or responsive.
an exquisite ear for music; an exquisite sensibility.
-
of particular refinement or elegance, as taste, manners, etc., or persons.
- Synonyms:
- discriminating
-
carefully sought out, chosen, ascertained, devised, etc.
noun
adjective
-
possessing qualities of unusual delicacy and fine craftsmanship
jewels in an exquisite setting
-
extremely beautiful and pleasing
an exquisite face
-
outstanding or excellent
an exquisite victory
-
sensitive; discriminating
exquisite taste
-
fastidious and refined
-
intense or sharp in feeling
exquisite pleasure
exquisite pain
noun
Pronunciation
The pronunciation of exquisite has undergone a rapid change from to , with stress shifting to the second syllable. The newer pronunciation is still criticized by some, but is now more common in both the U.S. and England, and many younger educated speakers are not even aware of the older one. See harass.
Related Words
Other Word Forms
- exquisitely adverb
- exquisiteness noun
- overexquisite adjective
- superexquisite adjective
- superexquisiteness noun
Etymology
Origin of exquisite
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin exquīsītus “meticulous, chosen with care,” originally past participle of exquīrere “to ask about, examine,” equivalent to ex- ex- 1 + -quīrere , combining form of quaerere “to seek”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
These exercises, including games of exquisite corpse, released something fantastical in Lam.
Both had once been exquisite, but now the plush had worn away at the elbows and hips.
From Literature
Once one gets past the initial shock, awe and envy of seeing Foster in her first French-speaking leading role, it’s easy to be swept away by the veteran actor’s exquisite, fluent mastery of the language.
From Salon
With two hands I unfurled it, only to behold the most beautiful, most fashionable, most exquisite dress I had ever laid eyes on.
From Literature
The suburban norminess is suffocating, the most exquisite shade of beige.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
