From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishtactfultact‧ful /ˈtæktfəl/ adjective POLITEnot likely to upset or embarrass other people OPP tactless There was no tactful way of phrasing what he wanted to say. a tactful man —tactfully adverb
Examples from the Corpus
tactful• In as tactful a way as she could contrive she asked Shildon to hurry up with what he wanted to say.• My parents tried to be tactful about my new boyfriend, but I knew they didn't like him.• In the Senate, he has been a bit more tactful but is still a consummate partisan.• I wish you'd be more tactful - didn't you realize she was divorced?• Jane promises to give Zoe a tactful explanation.• Penelope became the aggressor, tactful, knowledgeable, sure as the lover.• It wasn't very tactful of you to ask whether he'd put on weight.• Perhaps Hincmar's silence here was tactful, since Charles the Bald's sons had not distinguished themselves in the traditional roles.• You're more tactful than I am.• Mandy thought her mother's outfit was a little too fancy, but was too tactful to say so.• "Besides..." Melissa hesitated, trying to think of a tactful way of telling him the truth.• Can you help me think of a tactful way to ask her to stop calling?• Nevertheless, Richard declared that he had witnesses to prove it and Philip made a tactful withdrawal, secretly plotting with Tancred. 