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

These distortions caused subtle image fuzziness, reminiscent of the Hubble Space Telescope's well-known early optical flaw that had to be corrected through astronaut spacewalks.

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Unlike the more familiar "kink" waves that cause entire magnetic structures to sway and can be seen in solar videos, torsional Alfvén waves create a subtle twisting motion that can only be detected spectroscopically.

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The measured energies showed a subtle difference from expectations based on electrons that do not enter the nucleus.

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Thanks to a key bit of bitterness from fresh olive oil—another Pugliese specialty—and the still-pungent greens, the combination with the rather meaty pasta shape was both subtle and hearty.

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In a perhaps more subtle attack on college-going, changes coming from the Republican megabill passed this summer will, for many people, make student loans harder to repay.

Read more on MarketWatch

Related Words

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