EXQUISITE Synonyms: 183 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'exquisite' different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of exquisite are choice , dainty , delicate , elegant , and rare . While all these words mean "having qualities that appeal to a cultivated taste," exquisite implies a perfection in workmanship or design that appeals only to very sensitive taste. // an exquisite gold bracelet

Q: When could 'choice' be used to replace 'exquisite'?

While the synonyms choice and exquisite are close in meaning, choice stresses preeminence in quality or kind. // choice fabric

Q: When can 'dainty' be used instead of 'exquisite'?

Although the words dainty and exquisite have much in common, dainty sometimes carries an additional suggestion of smallness and of appeal to the eye or palate. // dainty sandwiches

Q: In what contexts can 'delicate' take the place of 'exquisite'?

The words delicate and exquisite are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, delicate implies exquisiteness, subtlety, and fragility. // delicate craftsmanship

Q: Where would 'elegant' be a reasonable alternative to 'exquisite'?

The synonyms elegant and exquisite are sometimes interchangeable, but elegant applies to what is rich and luxurious but restrained by good taste. // a sumptuous but elegant dining room

Q: When is 'rare' a more appropriate choice than 'exquisite'?

While in some cases nearly identical to exquisite , rare suggests an uncommon excellence. // rare beauty

exquisite 1 of 2

adjective

ek-ˈskwi-zət

Definition of exquisite

as in intense

extreme in degree, power, or effect felt such exquisite anger at being betrayed by a so-called friend that she could hardly think straight

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in elegant

having qualities that appeal to a refined taste exquisite pen-and-ink drawings of city scenes grace the walls of the formal restaurant

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in subtle

satisfying or pleasing because of fineness or mildness waiters at the wedding reception served exquisite hors d'oeuvres from silver trays

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

exquisite

2 of 2

noun

as in swell

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

slob
sloven

Synonym Chooser

How is the word exquisite different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of exquisite are choice, dainty, delicate, elegant, and rare. While all these words mean "having qualities that appeal to a cultivated taste," exquisite implies a perfection in workmanship or design that appeals only to very sensitive taste.

an exquisite gold bracelet

When could choice be used to replace exquisite?

While the synonyms choice and exquisite are close in meaning, choice stresses preeminence in quality or kind.

choice fabric

When can dainty be used instead of exquisite?

Although the words dainty and exquisite have much in common, dainty sometimes carries an additional suggestion of smallness and of appeal to the eye or palate.

dainty sandwiches

In what contexts can delicate take the place of exquisite?

The words delicate and exquisite are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, delicate implies exquisiteness, subtlety, and fragility.

delicate craftsmanship

Where would elegant be a reasonable alternative to exquisite?

The synonyms elegant and exquisite are sometimes interchangeable, but elegant applies to what is rich and luxurious but restrained by good taste.

a sumptuous but elegant dining room

When is rare a more appropriate choice than exquisite?

While in some cases nearly identical to exquisite, rare suggests an uncommon excellence.

rare beauty

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of exquisite

Adjective

Its significance stems not only from its exquisite quality and celebrated designer but also from Ogilvy's deep personal connection to Verdura, a relationship that began in her childhood. — Anthony Demarco, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026 The couture team and Pierpaolo sent the most exquisite selection of sketches to choose from. — Alexandra MacOn, Vogue, 9 Aug. 2026

Noun

The roughly three-hour, 16-course menu at Sushi by SYC features exquisite takes on classics like Hamachi crudo, wagyu nigiri and live spot prawn. — Colin Wrenn, Denver Post, 23 Sep. 2025 This year, Carol Kane — the chimeric renaissance woman, eternal ingenue, muse to visionaries from Sidney Lumet to Cindy Sherman — rose from the rubble, a mirage made real, in Nathan Silver's exquisite Between the Temples. — Ew Staff, EW.com, 22 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for exquisite

Recent Examples of Synonyms for exquisite

Adjective

The retail offering was oversubscribed 5,500 times, underscoring intense investor demand for the profitable company, which shipped 5,500 humanoids in 2025.

— John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026
That points to the conclusion that the pain for Main Street is likely to remain intense for the foreseeable future, even as Wall Street continues to prosper.

— Matt Peterson, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of intense

Adjective

Top 5 Can’t Miss A former family mansion, the elegant Villa Igiea is one of Palermo’s most opulent stays, with a history of hosting celebrities and royals during its early years.

— Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 19 Aug. 2026
Best Splurge At 7-feet tall, this bar cabinet is both elegant and dignified, pairing a walnut finish and forest green leather with brass hardware.

— Bailey Berg, Architectural Digest, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of elegant

Adjective

Clinicians found real value in cases involving subtle fractures in the knees, feet and other extremities, where conventional X-ray findings were inconclusive or missed the fracture altogether.

— Erez Meltzer, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Then there are the subtle vanilla notes like those found in Orb Oils’s Lenny fragrance, matcha in Le Labo’s, or, say, Flamingo Estate’s Prinsesstårta roll-on captures notes of marzipan like a slice of Sant Ambroeus Princess cake.

— Arden Fanning Andrews, Vogue, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of subtle

Noun

Prosecutors said Hernandez piloted the boat into a swell and had accelerated the throttle to try to pass through it until the swell swamped the bow of the boat, capsizing it immediately, a complaint alleged.

— Martin Goillandeau, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
About three hours and 20 minutes into the ride, Hernandez piloted the vessel in a U-turn, which investigators believed brought the boat into a swell caused by a larger passing boat.

— Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of swell

Adjective

And, once selected, these leaders adhere to a strict code of conduct and undergo intensive training and certification requirements, all of which prize discipline and self-regulation.

— Emelia S. Probasco, Foreign Affairs, 20 Aug. 2026
They were concerned rezoning the property would set off a reaction of more intensive zoning for the corridor.

— Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of intensive

Adjective

The rare albino peacock that was injured during the incident in Pasadena.

— Nicole Comstock, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
In a Texas hospital this week, doctors performed a complex, high-risk, open-heart surgery on a 6-day-old boy born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a rare congenital condition that rendered part of his heart underdeveloped.

— Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of rare

Adjective

The dishes are a light and succulent reinterpretation of Menorca’s gastronomic heritage with an emphasis on seafood and a delicate French accent.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Aug. 2026
Denker had a study done, based on races that took place on Belle Isle in Michigan, showing that IndyCars racing at full speed wouldn’t damage buildings more delicate than the ones around the Mall.

— Adam Kilgore, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of delicate

Noun

Jutting off the coastline like an upside-down ice skate, the Point Reyes National Seashore is separated from the mainland by the San Andreas fault, which runs like a skate’s blade edge separating the Pacific and North American plates.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Replace those dull knives with a 14-piece Henckels set that keeps the blades sharp between uses.

— Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of blade

Browse Nearby Words

expurgating

exquisite

exquisiteness

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Cite this Entry

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“Exquisite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exquisite. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of exquisite

adjective

noun

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