Exquisite

• POS: Adjective, Noun
• HYPHEN: ex=quis=ite

CIDE DICTIONARY

Exquisite, a. [L. exquisitus, p. p. of exquirere to search out; ex out + quarere to seek, search. See Quest.].

•  Carefully selected or sought out; hence, of distinguishing and surpassing quality; exceedingly nice; delightfully excellent; giving rare satisfaction; as, exquisite workmanship.  [1913 Webster]

  "Plate of rare device, and jewels
  Of reach and exquisite form."  [1913 Webster]

  "I have no exquisite reason for 't, but I have reason good enough."  [1913 Webster]
•  Exceeding; extreme; keen; -- used in a bad or a good sense; as, exquisite pain or pleasure.  [1913 Webster]
•  Of delicate perception or close and accurate discrimination; not easy to satisfy; exact; nice; fastidious; as, exquisite judgment, taste, or discernment.  [1913 Webster]

  "His books of Oriental languages, wherein he was exquisite."

Syn. -- Nice; delicate; exact; refined; choice; rare; matchless; consummate; perfect.

Exquisite, n. 

 One who manifests an exquisite attention to external appearance; one who is overnice in dress or ornament; a fop; a dandy.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Exquisite, adj. & n.
--adj.
1 extremely beautiful or delicate.
2 acute; keenly felt (exquisite pleasure).
3 keen; highly sensitive or discriminating (exquisite taste).
--n. a person of refined (esp. affected) tastes.

Derivative

exquisitely adv. exquisiteness n.

Etymology

ME f. L exquirere exquisit- (as EX-(1), quaerere seek)

THESAURUS

Exquisite

Beau Brummel, accurate, acute, aesthetic, aesthetically appealing, agreeable, ambrosial, appealing, attentive, attractive, beauteous, beautiful, bewitching, blood, braw, buck, captivating, charming, chic, classy, close, clothes-conscious, conscientious, consummate, correct, cosmopolitan, coxcomb, critical, dainty, dandy, dapper, dashing, delectable, delicat, delicate, delicious, delightful, demanding, detailed, divine, dressed to advantage, dressed to kill, dude, elegant, enchanting, endowed with beauty, engaging, enravishing, enthralling, entrancing, errorless, euphemistic, euphuistic, exact, exacting, excruciating, exigent, extreme, eye-filling, fascinating, faultless, fetching, fine, finical, finicking, finicky, finished, flawless, flowerlike, fop, formalistic, fussy, genteel, gilt-edged, glorious, golden, good, good to eat, good-tasting, goody good-good, goody-goody, graceful, gracile, gustable, gusty, handsome, heart-robbing, heavenly, heavy, immaculate, immense, impeccable, intense, intriguing, inviting, irreproachable, irresistible, jaunty, juicy, keen, likable, lounge lizard, lovely, luscious, lush, luxurious, macaroni, magnificent, marvelous, meticulous, mincing, minute, namby-pamby, narrow, natty, neat, nectareous, nectarous, nice, nifty, nobby, of gourmet quality, overnice, overprecise, overrefined, palatable, particular, pedantic, pleasing, poignant, posh, precieuse, precious, precise, precisian, precisianistic, precisionistic, prepossessing, pretty, pulchritudinous, punctilious, punctual, puristic, rare, ravishing, recherche, refined, religious, rigid, rigorous, ritzy, sapid, savorous, savory, scrumptious, scrupulous, scrutinizing, select, sensational, sensuous, sharp, simpering, sleek, smart, smug, snazzy, soigne, soignee, sophisticated, spiffy, splendid, splendiferous, spruce, sterling, strict, style-conscious, subtle, succulent, super, superb, supereminent, superexcellent, superfine, superior, superlative, swank, swanky, swell, taking, tantalizing, tasty, tempting, terrific, thrilling, titillative, toothsome, transcending, tremendous, tricksy, trig, trim, vivid, voluptuous, well-dressed, well-groomed, winning, winsome, witching, wonderful, yummy

ROGET THESAURUS

Exquisite

Goodness

N goodness, excellence, merit, virtue, value, worth, price, super-excellence, supereminence, superiority, perfection, coup de maitre, masterpiece, chef d'ouvre, prime, flower, cream, elite, pick, A, nonesuch, nonpareil, creme de la creme, flower of the flock, cock of the roost, salt of the earth, champion, prodigy, tidbit, gem, gem of the first water, bijou, precious stone, jewel, pearl, diamond, ruby, brilliant, treasure, good thing, rara avis, one in a thousand, beneficence, good man, harmless, hurtless, unobnoxious, innocuous, innocent, inoffensive, beneficial, valuable, of value, serviceable, advantageous, edifying, profitable, salutary, favorable, propitious fair, good, good as gold, excellent, better, superior, above par, nice, fine, genuine, best, choice, select, picked, elect, recherche, rare, priceless, unparagoned, unparalleled, superlatively, good, bully, crackajack, giltedged, superfine, superexcellent, of the first water, first-rate, first-class, high- wrought, exquisite, very best, crack, prime, tiptop, capital, cardinal, standard, inimitable, admirable, estimable, praiseworthy, pleasing, couleur de rose, precious, of great price, costly, worth its weight in gold, worth a Jew's eye, priceless, invaluable, inestimable, precious as the apple of the eye, tolerable, up to the mark, unexceptionable, unobjectionable, satisfactory, tidy, in good condition, in fair condition, fresh, sound, beneficially, well, Jewels five words long, long may such goodness live!, the luxury of doing good.

Pleasurableness

N pleasurableness, pleasantness, agreeableness, pleasure giving, jucundity, delectability, amusement, attraction, attractiveness, attractability, invitingness, harm, fascination, enchantment, witchery, seduction, winning ways, amenity, amiability, winsomeness, loveliness, sunny side, bright side, sweets, goodness, manna in the wilderness, land flowing with milk and honey, bittersweet, fair weather, treat, regale, dainty, titbit, tidbit, nuts, sauce piquante, causing pleasure, laetificant, pleasure-giving, pleasing, pleasant, pleasurable, agreeable, grateful, gratifying, leef, lief, acceptable, welcome, welcome as the roses in May, welcomed, favorite, to one's taste, to one's mind, to one's liking, satisfactory, refreshing, comfortable, cordial, genial, glad, gladsome, sweet, delectable, nice, dainty, delicate, delicious, dulcet, luscious, palatable, luxurious, voluptuous, sensual, attractive, inviting, prepossessing, engaging, winning, winsome, taking, fascinating, captivating, killing, seducing, seductive, heart-robbing, alluring, enticing, appetizing, cheering, bewitching, enchanting, entrancing, enravishing, charming, delightful, felicitous, exquisite, lovely, ravishing, rapturous, heartfelt, thrilling, ecstatic, beatic, beatific, seraphic, empyrean, elysian, palmy, halcyon, Saturnian, decies repetita placebit, charms strike the sight but merit wins the soul, sweetness and light, beauty is only skin deep.

Fop

N fop, fine gentleman, swell, dandy, dandiprat, exquisite, coxcomb, beau, macaroni, blade, blood, buck, man about town, fast man, fribble, milliner, Jemmy Jessamy, carpet knight, masher, dude, fine lady, coquette, flirt, vamp.

Savoriness

N savoriness, good taste, deliciousness, delectability, relish, zest, appetizer, tidbit, titbit, dainty, delicacy, tasty morsel, appetizer, hors d'ouvres, ambrosia, nectar, bonne-bouche, game, turtle, venison, delicatessen, savory, delicious, tasty, well-tasted, to one's taste, good, palatable, nice, dainty, delectable, toothful, toothsome, gustful, appetizing, lickerish, delicate, exquisite, rich, luscious, ambrosial, scrumptious, delightful, per amusare la bocca, cela se laisse manger.