delicately built

USAGE SUMMARY

"delicately built" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to describe something that is constructed with finesse or fragility, often referring to physical structures or even character traits. For example: "The artist created a delicately built sculpture that captured the light beautifully." Alternative expressions include "finely crafted," "elegantly constructed," and "lightly framed."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

11 human-written examples

Jet was the shyest and the most delicately built.

The New Yorker

Ahmed, small and delicately built, arrived flanked by two juvenile-justice counsellors.

The New Yorker

Small, delicately built, inward, with a touch of feverishness – he even looked like Keats.

The Guardian - Film

But after her decade-long quest, the delicately built yet clearly strong-willed Kavaguti received her first major reward Wednesday night.

The New York Times - Sports

Chevrotain, also called Mouse Deer, any of several species of small, delicately built hoofed mammals comprising the family Tragulidae (order Artiodactyla).

Encyclopedia Britannica

The man who enters the room is bespectacled, refined, delicately built - a white-haired Buster Keaton with a sarf London accent.

The Guardian - Film

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

49 human-written examples

Out of this loaded spatial geography — down there/up home; low half/near the top — Kelman delicately builds his themes.

The New Yorker

Out of this loaded spatial geography down there/up home; low half/near the top Kelman delicately builds his themes.

The New Yorker

He recognised that retaining the character of the team and adjusting slowly, delicately, to build on that was the way forward.

The Guardian - Sport

Walking through the delicately conceived exhibit, built by James Freed, we are meant to ask ourselves: how could this have come to be?

The Guardian - Arts

Some of the world's top architects, including Santiago Calatrava, who has already built a delicately arched pedestrian bridge across Bilbao's Nervin River, and Cesar Pelli, known for his World Financial Center in New York, have been commissioned.

Forbes

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In descriptive prose, pairing this phrase with a contrasting trait (e.g., "delicately built yet clearly strong-willed") creates a more complex and engaging character portrait.

Common error

Avoid using "delicately built" as a synonym for "poorly constructed". While something delicate is often small or fine, the term usually implies an intentional or natural finesse. If the object is likely to fail due to bad engineering, use "flimsily built" instead.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "delicately built" functions as an adjective phrase composed of the adverb "delicately" modifying the past participle "built". As noted by Ludwig, it serves to characterize the physical constitution of a subject with a focus on refinement and slightness.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Encyclopedias

15%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Academia

5%

Science

3%

Social Media

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In conclusion, "delicately built" is a sophisticated and grammatically standard phrase used to describe subjects that possess a slight yet refined physical structure. Data from Ludwig shows that the phrase is highly prevalent in authoritative media and reference materials, often used to describe everything from the anatomy of rare mammals to the physical appearance of historical figures and artists. It is important for writers to distinguish this phrase from negative descriptors; while a "flimsily built" object suggests poor quality, a "delicately built" subject suggests a natural or artistic grace. Ludwig AI confirms its status as a correct and highly versatile choice for descriptive writing across various professional and creative registers.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

slenderly constructed

Focuses more on the thinness of the structure

lightly framed

A more common way to describe a person's physical skeleton

slight of build

A common idiomatic expression for a small person

finely proportioned

Emphasizes the aesthetic balance rather than just the fragility

elegantly formed

Moves the focus toward the beauty of the shape

gracefully put together

Focuses on the manner in which parts are assembled

fragilely made

Highlights the vulnerability or ease of breaking

dainty

One word that conveys smallness and delicacy but feels more informal

exquisitely crafted

Used more for man-made objects than living creatures

tenuously built

Implies a negative lack of stability or strength

FAQs

How do I use "delicately built" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe people, animals, or objects. For example: "The ballerina was "delicately built" but possessed incredible stamina."

What is a more formal alternative to "delicately built"?

In a scientific or formal context, you might prefer "slight physique" or "gracile structure".

Does "delicately built" mean something is about to break?

Not necessarily. It refers to the refinement of the form. If you mean something is easy to break, you should use "fragile" or "brittle".

Can I use "delicately built" to describe a house?

Yes, if the architecture is fine and detailed. However, if you are talking about the physical strength of the building, "lightly constructed" might be more accurate.