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.
Many fans have described this as a "nightmare scenario" for the company, but BBC Newsbeat has spoken to experts and a former Rockstar developer who say the reality is a little more nuanced.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
Stephen Costello was an assertive Pinkerton; Jarrett Ott a mellifluous, nuanced Sharpless; Sun-Ly Pierce a fine Suzuki without illusions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
Overlaying the rescue of the boy and the identification of the abductor is a nuanced and troubling examination of trauma and how it creates its own kind of prison.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
Robo advisers can’t handle nuanced financial planning, like tax-optimization strategies, estate planning or updating wills.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
Oppenheimer’s point was more nuanced than it might have seemed on the surface; he was calling for introspection among scientists that had been lacking—and perhaps unnecessary—before the power of fission was unleashed.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
