nuanced
Americanadjective
-
expressing or involving subtle distinctions.
Their opinions are always nuanced and informing.
Life is wonderfully nuanced, textured, complicated, beautiful, and rich.
-
characterized by slight difference or variation in color, tone, flavor, etc.
Dawn and dusk imposed softer, darker shades of nuanced, shadowed light.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of nuanced
Explanation
Something that's nuanced has subtle details that make it complex and interesting. A nuanced conversation isn't just small talk — it really makes you think. Nuanced is one of those words that attempts to capture an elusive quality. When a book or movie is described as nuanced, it implies a work that's meaningful and complicated, with relationships between characters that seem as multi-layered and subtle as real life. Nuance means "slight degree of difference," from the French nuer, "to shade," and a Latin root that means "a cloud or vapor."
Vocabulary lists containing nuanced
Their Eyes Were Watching God
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Love Radio
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Gather
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“You’re often investing a sizable amount of money for a vacation, and the world is a tricky, nuanced place right now,” said Duncan Greenfield-Turk, founder of the Global Travel Moments travel agency.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 9, 2026
A day before the show, the feelings were more nuanced.
From BBC • Jul. 6, 2026
Philadelphia-based Fort Robotics makes controllers and software that process information from multiple sources to let humanoids take nuanced actions, said Samuel Reeves, the company’s chief executive.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 4, 2026
Audiences, including the middle school social studies students, deserve better and more nuanced stories about this country and the values it was built upon.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 2, 2026
But as long as “West Computer” was still the unspoken code for “Colored Computer,” the decision to draw the curtain on Dorothy’s group would require more nuanced consideration.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
