subtle

[ suht-l ]

/ ˈsʌt l /

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See 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.

OTHER WORDS FOR subtle

6 sly, tricky, foxy, slick.

See synonyms for subtle on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of subtle

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

OTHER WORDS FROM subtle

sub·tle·ness, nounsub·tly, adverbhy·per·sub·tle, adjectivehy·per·sub·tle·ness, noun

non·sub·tle, adjectivenon·sub·tle·ness, nouno·ver·sub·tle, adjectivepseu·do·sub·tle, adjectiveun·sub·tle, adjectiveun·sub·tle·ness, noun

Words nearby subtle

subtile, subtilisin, subtilize, subtilty, subtitle, subtle, subtlety, subtly, subtonic, subtopia, subtopic

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use subtle in a sentence

On a per-million basis, the United States’ position in 11th place goes to 15th — a slight but subtle improvement.
An only-red-states America probably isn’t one Trump would actually like|Philip Bump|September 17, 2020|Washington Post
That led Connecticut’s governor to make a subtle, but crucial, change to the state’s election rules on the day before the election.
Facebook’s Political Ad Ban Also Threatens Ability to Spread Accurate Information on How to Vote|by Jeremy B. Merrill for ProPublica|September 4, 2020|ProPublica
The answer is almost certainly yes, given another subtle change the company made in its amended filing today.
In amended filing, Palantir admits it won’t have independent board governance for up to a year|Danny Crichton|September 3, 2020|TechCrunch
What’s subtle is that an equivalence between two objects should be recorded as additional data.
Conducting the Mathematical Orchestra From the Middle|Rachel Crowell|September 2, 2020|Quanta Magazine

Insider threats, where a company’s own employee carries out a cyberattack against it, are an especially pernicious and subtle form of hacking.
How a $1 million plot to hack Tesla failed|Patrick O'Neill|August 28, 2020|MIT Technology Review
Again, the difference can seem subtle and sound more like splitting hairs, but the difference is important.
How Skinny Is Too Skinny? Israel Bans ‘Underweight’ Models|Carrie Arnold|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
At that time, pre -9/11, the links were more subtle and had to be hunted down.
ISIS, Boko Haram, and the Growing Role of Human Trafficking in 21st Century Terrorism|Louise I. Shelley|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Hammerstein continued his subtle quest for racial equanimity in Oklahoma!
When Broadway Musicals Were Dark And Subversive|Laurence Maslon|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
Her voice was stern; it bore to the girl's ears a subtle, unworded repetition of the threat the Marquise had already voiced.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
It was a curious moment, charged with a subtle perplexity of emotions none of them quite understood.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
It was the spiritual way, whose method and secret lie in that subtle paradox: Yield to conquer.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
A subtle current of desire passed through her body, weakening her hold upon the brushes and making her eyes burn.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
The champagne was cold, and its subtle fumes played fantastic tricks with Edna's memory that night.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin

British Dictionary definitions for subtle

subtle

/ (ˈsʌtəl) /

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 forms of subtle

subtleness, 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

subtle

OTHER WORDS FOR subtle

Origin of subtle

OTHER WORDS FROM subtle

Words nearby subtle

Words related to subtle

How to use subtle in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for subtle

Derived forms of subtle

Word Origin for subtle