Delicately small and pretty; or describing food that is tasty and carefully prepared in small amounts.
From Old French 'deintie' meaning 'pleasure, delicacy, luxury', from Latin 'dignitas' meaning 'worthiness' or 'dignity'. It shifted from 'something worthy and delightful' to 'delicate and fine'.
Dainty things are tiny but full of care—like the opposite of clumsy. The word carries a hint of luxury, as if smallness makes each detail more special.
“Dainty” has long been used to describe women and girls as delicate, small, and fragile, reinforcing narrow ideals of femininity tied to passivity and physical slightness. It has also been used to trivialize women’s appetites and bodies, suggesting they should be restrained or ornamental.
Avoid using “dainty” to describe people’s bodies, appetites, or movements; if used for objects (e.g., “dainty porcelain”), ensure it does not spill over into stereotyping people.
["delicate (for objects)","fine","small-scale","refined (for style)"]
When discussing historical beauty standards, note how expectations of daintiness constrained women’s clothing, health, and behavior, and how many women actively resisted these norms.
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