Tactful
adjective
Being careful not to upset or offend others.
She was tactful when telling him the news so as not to upset him.

Often appears as...
- be tactful
- tactful approach
adjective
Being careful not to upset or offend others.
She was tactful when telling him the news so as not to upset him.

Often appears as...
- be tactful
- tactful approach
Definition 1 of 1

Sensitive Topics
Use 'tactful' when dealing with subjects that might hurt someone's feelings or cause discomfort.

She was tactful in discussing the company's layoffs.
Subtle Honesty
'Tactful' means being honest without being too harsh or direct.

His tactful critique of the play spared the actors' feelings.
Avoiding Directness
Being tactful often involves hinting or suggesting rather than saying something outright.

Instead of declining directly, she gave a tactful excuse.
Sensitive Topics
Use 'tactful' when dealing with subjects that might hurt someone's feelings or cause discomfort.

She was tactful in discussing the company's layoffs.
Subtle Honesty
'Tactful' means being honest without being too harsh or direct.

His tactful critique of the play spared the actors' feelings.
Avoiding Directness
Being tactful often involves hinting or suggesting rather than saying something outright.

Instead of declining directly, she gave a tactful excuse.
Sensitive Topics
Use 'tactful' when dealing with subjects that might hurt someone's feelings or cause discomfort.

She was tactful in discussing the company's layoffs.
Subtle Honesty
'Tactful' means being honest without being too harsh or direct.

His tactful critique of the play spared the actors' feelings.
Avoiding Directness
Being tactful often involves hinting or suggesting rather than saying something outright.

Instead of declining directly, she gave a tactful excuse.
Video examples
Jodi Picoult: Leaving...
How do I know that was coming? Yeah. It was the first book I read and it totally got me hooked on you. But when I was so excited for the movie, after seeing it, I wondered what your opinion was on the change. - That was so tactfully said. - That was tactful. So, here's the thing about
Video examples
Why We Need To Talk Shit...
shabby and unhygenic pit at night when it wasn't safe to venture out even to this toilet they resort to find toilets defecating in a plastic bag and then in the morning tactfully throwing it outside when no one is looking without a
Video examples
Community-powered...
And they'll sit in a circle, and write the names of their loved ones on a board, who they're there to support. And collectively, the group will find out ways to tangibly and tactfully
Video examples
Jodi Picoult: Leaving...
How do I know that was coming? Yeah. It was the first book I read and it totally got me hooked on you. But when I was so excited for the movie, after seeing it, I wondered what your opinion was on the change. - That was so tactfully said. - That was tactful. So, here's the thing about
Video examples
Why We Need To Talk Shit...
shabby and unhygenic pit at night when it wasn't safe to venture out even to this toilet they resort to find toilets defecating in a plastic bag and then in the morning tactfully throwing it outside when no one is looking without a
Video examples
Community-powered...
And they'll sit in a circle, and write the names of their loved ones on a board, who they're there to support. And collectively, the group will find out ways to tangibly and tactfully
Example 1 of 3
Quote examples
Marcia Muller
American Author
About 10 years ago, in an effort to gain a better grasp on McCone's world, I took up the hobby of building fully electrified scale models: first of the legal cooperative where she started out, and then of her own brown-shingled cottage, a pursuit that the more tactful of my friends label unusual, and that the more blunt refer to as obsessive.

Quote examples
Louis Dudek
Canadian Poet
In a poem, the words happen; they just come. I let them. Otherwise, I wouldn't write. To interfere with what is happening is to distort the poem. Just a very small degree of intelligence and supervision is necessary. Very tactful. Any revision later that violates the text as it came, that begins rewriting the words, is fake.

Quote examples
Julia Davis
English Comedian
I'm quite tactful, actually. I worry about whether people are all right. With my friends, obviously, conversations are quite free and uncensored, but I would never enjoy making someone feel uncomfortable at all.

Quote examples
Chris Borland
American Athlete
I think I'm connected to this issue in some capacity, football and brain damage. So carving out a way to address it tactfully is important to me no matter what I go on to do.

Quote examples
Bryan White
American Musician
If I ever did cross over I would like to do it tactfully. I don't want to offend anyone in country. Can you have the best of both worlds? I sure like the idea of it!

Quote examples
Jane Harrison
English Writer
To be meek, patient, tactful, modest, honorable, brave, is not to be either manly or womanly; it is to be humane.

Quote examples
Sherilyn Fenn
American Actress
I say what I feel. I try to be tactful, but I can't not say what I feel. I have a really big problem with that.

Quote examples
James Cash Penney
American Businessman
The best of merchandise will go back to the shelf unless handled by a conscientious, tactful salesman.

Quote examples
Eileen Pollack
American Novelist
Knowing how to tactfully criticize someone's work is a mentor's job.

Quote examples
Robert Gottlieb
American Writer
Most famous stage actors tactfully fade away.

Quote examples
Marcia Muller
American Author
About 10 years ago, in an effort to gain a better grasp on McCone's world, I took up the hobby of building fully electrified scale models: first of the legal cooperative where she started out, and then of her own brown-shingled cottage, a pursuit that the more tactful of my friends label unusual, and that the more blunt refer to as obsessive.

Quote examples
Louis Dudek
Canadian Poet
In a poem, the words happen; they just come. I let them. Otherwise, I wouldn't write. To interfere with what is happening is to distort the poem. Just a very small degree of intelligence and supervision is necessary. Very tactful. Any revision later that violates the text as it came, that begins rewriting the words, is fake.

Quote examples
Julia Davis
English Comedian
I'm quite tactful, actually. I worry about whether people are all right. With my friends, obviously, conversations are quite free and uncensored, but I would never enjoy making someone feel uncomfortable at all.

Quote examples
Chris Borland
American Athlete
I think I'm connected to this issue in some capacity, football and brain damage. So carving out a way to address it tactfully is important to me no matter what I go on to do.

Quote examples
Bryan White
American Musician
If I ever did cross over I would like to do it tactfully. I don't want to offend anyone in country. Can you have the best of both worlds? I sure like the idea of it!

Quote examples
Jane Harrison
English Writer
To be meek, patient, tactful, modest, honorable, brave, is not to be either manly or womanly; it is to be humane.

Quote examples
Sherilyn Fenn
American Actress
I say what I feel. I try to be tactful, but I can't not say what I feel. I have a really big problem with that.

Quote examples
James Cash Penney
American Businessman
The best of merchandise will go back to the shelf unless handled by a conscientious, tactful salesman.

Quote examples
Eileen Pollack
American Novelist
Knowing how to tactfully criticize someone's work is a mentor's job.

Quote examples
Robert Gottlieb
American Writer
Most famous stage actors tactfully fade away.

Example 1 of 10
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