tactful C1 Topic:Describing Qualities US /ˈtæktfəl/ See IPA manual Freq #29825 Meanings 1 adj Careful not to say or do anything that might upset or offend other people. She gave a tactful reply that avoided hurting his feelings. Appears in Phrases (1) See all tactful way a method of doing or saying something that avoids unnecessary offense Adjective + noun Etymology AI details From tact + -ful. *teh₂g- Proto-Indo-European View etymology graph -> Topics Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives External links Google Images Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary # tactful **Type:** Word **Level:** C1 **Part of speech:** adj **IPA (US):** /ˈtæktfəl/ **Frequency rank:** 29825 ## Meanings 1. Careful not to say or do anything that might upset or offend other people. ## Examples - She gave a tactful reply that avoided hurting his feelings. ## Roots and Affixes - Root: *teh₂g- ## Etymology From tact + -ful. ## AI Etymology Tactful is from tact + -ful. A key historical form is Proto-Indo-European *teh₂g-. In present-day use, it means careful not to say or do anything that might upset or offend other people. ## Topics - Describing Qualities - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown