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Glite Dictionary
😆 In a tickled way 🤏 With care
ticklishly

ticklishly

7.2
In a careful way to avoid offending people
  • adverb
  • /ˈtɪk.lɪʃ.li/
: delicadamente
  • The chef prepared the dish ticklishly, ensuring that each ingredient was treated with care.

Examples

  • He walked ticklishly around the subject, careful not to offend anyone.

  • Once again, his clothing passed ticklishly through him.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • She handled the delicate vase ticklishly to avoid breaking it.

Synonyms

gently
vsticklishly
324 1.0

To do something with little force to avoid hurting or making noise

prioritizes avoiding offense or awkwardness rather than only being soft
delicately
vsticklishly
39 3.7

Gently and carefully to avoid hurting people or breaking things

focuses on avoiding offense or trouble rather than only being gentle
gingerly
vsticklishly
21 4.6

In a very careful, slow way to avoid damage or getting hurt

focuses on avoiding trouble or offense rather than physical danger

Antonyms

bluntly
36 4.6

In a direct way that is not polite

carelessly
16 1.0

In a way that you do something without thinking or paying attention

How Delicate

tactfully
4 4.4
delicately
39 3.7
ticklishly
7.2
cautiously
56 2.3
carelessly
16 1.0

Surface Forms

ticklishly positive

Morphology

ticklishly = ticklish (semi-transparent) = tickle + ish + ly

The formation is regular, but the sense 'delicate or awkward' is a figurative extension of the literal meaning, so the semantic link is not fully literal.

Etymology

Ticklishly also comes from ticklish, made from tickle and -ish, where 'ticklish' moved from 'easily tickled' to mean 'sensitive' or 'difficult'. So, in its second sense it means 'in a delicate or awkward way that needs careful handling'.