subtle

[suht-l]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR subtle ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, sub·tler, sub·tlest.

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

fine or delicate in meaning or intent; difficult to perceive or understand: subtle irony.

delicate or faint and mysterious: a subtle smile.

requiring mental acuteness, penetration, or discernment: a subtle philosophy.

characterized by mental acuteness or penetration: a subtle understanding.

cunning, wily, or crafty: a subtle liar.

insidious in operation: subtle poison.

skillful, clever, or ingenious: a subtle painter.

Origin of subtle

1250–1300; Middle English sotil < Old French < Latin subtīlis subtile (b of modern spelling < L)

Related formssub·tle·ness, nounsub·tly, adverbhy·per·sub·tle, adjectivehy·per·sub·tle·ness, nounnon·sub·tle, adjectivenon·sub·tle·ness, nounnon·sub·t·ly, adverbo·ver·sub·tle, adjectiveo·ver·sub·tly, adverbpseu·do·sub·tle, adjectivepseu·do·sub·t·ly, adverbun·sub·tle, adjectiveun·sub·tle·ness, nounun·sub·t·ly, adverb

Synonyms for subtle

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR subtle ON THESAURUS.COM

6. sly, tricky, foxy, slick.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for subtle

ingenious, faint, slight, profound, sophisticated, indirect, exquisite, understated, precise, detailed, intriguing, sly, skillful, shrewd, insidious, complex, attenuate, deep, discriminating, ethereal

Examples from the Web for subtle

Contemporary Examples of subtle

Hammerstein continued his subtle quest for racial equanimity in Oklahoma!
When Broadway Musicals Were Dark And Subversive
Laurence Maslon
December 16, 2014
In recent days, there has been a subtle feeling of defeat permeating through the camp.
The Monuments Men of Occupy Hong Kong
Brendon Hong
December 4, 2014
Vreeland believes that in the end, his grandmother put her subtle seal of approval on his lifestyle.
From Fashion Player to Photographer Monk
Nina Strochlic
December 3, 2014
Light amber in color with a subtle sour finish, Fula is one of Casa Bruja's best sellers.
House of the Witch: The Renegade Craft Brewers of Panama
Jeff Campagna
November 30, 2014
For those who have a problem with that, she offered a charming, subtle middle finger.
Jeopardy! Champion Julia Collins’s Brain Feels Like Mush
Sujay Kumar
November 20, 2014

Historical Examples of subtle

He had breathed into the atmosphere a subtle malaria, and George had caught the disease.
Life in London
Edwin Hodder
Then, he bethought himself of a subtle form of rebuke by emphasizing his generosity.
Within the Law
Marvin Dana
The words were uttered with a subtle renunciation that was this man's religion.
Within the Law
Marvin Dana
Joe was not subtle, not even clever; but he was a lover, and he knew the ways of love.
K
Mary Roberts Rinehart
Though I felt a subtle and wondrous change, I could not trace or track the miracle.
The Bacillus of Beauty
Harriet Stark

British Dictionary definitions for subtle

subtle

adjective

not immediately obvious or comprehensible

difficult to detect or analyse, often through being delicate or highly refineda subtle scent

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

marked by or requiring mental acuteness or ingenuity; discriminating

delicate or fainta subtle shade

cunning or wilya subtle rogue

operating or executed in secreta subtle intrigue

Derived Formssubtleness, nounsubtly, adverb

Word Origin for subtle

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for subtle

adj.

c.1300, sutel, soutil, in reference to things, "of thin consistency;" in reference to craftsmen, "skilled, clever," from Old French soutil, from Latin subtilis "fine, thin, delicate, finely woven," from sub "under" (see sub-) + -tilis, from tela "web" and texere "to weave" (see texture). The spelling with -b- reflects confusion with subtile. Most non-material senses were present by late 14c.