subtle
adjective
thin, tenuous, or rarefied, as a fluid or an odor.
subtler
-
comparativeof subtle.comparative
The form of an adjective or adverb indicating a greater degree of a quality.
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.
The tension emerges from something subtler: the struggle to define terms.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
What draws him most is subtler than that.
From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026
Bad Bunny’s signifiers were subtler, although some may not have contained the meaning people read into them.
From Salon ● Feb. 9, 2026
More mature consumers are likely to stick with natural, subtler looks, she said.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 7, 2026
There were half circles under her eyes, and other, subtler signs that mark an acutely troubled young girl, but nonetheless no one could have missed seeing that she was a first-class beauty.
From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger
