subtle

[suht-l]

adjective

subtler, subtlest 

1. thin, tenuous, or rarefied, as a fluid or an odor.

2. fine or delicate in meaning or intent; difficult to perceive or understand.

   subtle irony.

3. delicate or faint and mysterious.

   a subtle smile.

4. requiring mental acuteness, penetration, or discernment.

   a subtle philosophy.

5. characterized by mental acuteness or penetration.

   a subtle understanding.

6. cunning, wily, or crafty.

   a subtle liar.

   Synonyms: slick, foxy, tricky, sly

7. insidious in operation.

   subtle poison.

8. skillful, clever, or ingenious.

   a subtle painter.

subtle

/ ˈsʌtəl /

adjective

1. not immediately obvious or comprehensible

2. difficult to detect or analyse, often through being delicate or highly refined

   a subtle scent

3. showing or making or capable of showing or making fine distinctions of meaning

4. marked by or requiring mental acuteness or ingenuity; discriminating

5. delicate or faint

   a subtle shade

6. cunning or wily

   a subtle rogue

7. operating or executed in secret

   a subtle intrigue

Other Word Forms

• subtleness noun
• subtly adverb
• hypersubtle adjective
• hypersubtleness noun
• nonsubtle adjective
• nonsubtleness noun
• oversubtle adjective
• pseudosubtle adjective
• unsubtle adjective
• unsubtleness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of subtle¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English sotil, from Old French, from Latin subtīlis “subtile” (the b of modern spelling is from Latin ); subtile

Word History and Origins

Origin of subtle¹

C14: from Old French soutil, from Latin subtīlis finely woven

Example Sentences

At Stanford University’s School of Medicine, researchers led by Dr. Scott Boyd have developed an AI-based blood-testing approach to scan the immune system for subtle signs that these braking mechanisms are failing.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

These variations can imitate the subtle radial velocity signals astronomers look for, sometimes making it difficult to determine whether a planet is truly present.

Read more on Science Daily

Andrew Salter, cofounder of mushroom drinks brand Dirtea, says lion's mane in particular has a subtle taste, and I found there was next to no difference between my functional coffee and the regular one.

Read more on BBC

That complexity is what made disruption slower and more subtle than anyone predicted.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

As the solar system moves through the universe, this motion produces a subtle "headwind": slightly more radio galaxies appear in the direction of travel.

Read more on Science Daily

Related Words

• exquisite 
• faint 
• indirect 
• ingenious 
• profound 
• slight 
• sophisticated 
• understated