subtly

American  

[suht-l-lee, suht-lee] / ˈsʌt l li, ˈsʌt li /

adverb

1. in a way that is so fine or delicate as to be difficult to perceive.

   The vegetables tasted subtly of the grill, but each still held its own unique flavor.

2. in a way that shows or requires mental penetration or discernment.

   In the press, comment and analysis must be subtly distinguished from news.

3. in a way that shows highly refined skill; cleverly or ingeniously.

   He has developed his own style of playing the whistle and subtly incorporates features that evoke other traditional instruments.

4. in a wily or cunning way; craftily.

   Under the guise of journalistic objectivity, news programs subtly play on our emotions—chiefly on our fears.

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Other Word Forms

• nonsubtly adverb
• oversubtly adverb
• pseudosubtly adverb
• unsubtly adverb

Etymology

Origin of subtly

subt(le) ( def. ) + -ly

Explanation

The adverb subtly describes something that's done in a delicate or understated way. You could subtly suggest to your best friend that a breath mint might taste good, rather than telling her straight out that she's got terrible breath. When you do something subtly, you do it quietly and indirectly — like subtly criticizing your mom's choice of beachwear. If you smile subtly, it's a small, mysterious, Mona Lisa-type smile rather than a wide, open one. There are two tricks to the word subtly: first, when you add the ly to the word subtle, the e gets dropped. Second, don't confuse subtly with subtlety, a noun meaning "the state of being subtle."

Example Sentences

That does lead me to question whether she’s perhaps trying to subtly convince him that he should change his mind.

From Slate • Apr. 10, 2026

Few still working in the UK government would be as honest but the prime minister is changing his approach, albeit relatively subtly.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

Instead, they would subtly alter the frequency of the emitted photons depending on the direction in which they travel.

From Science Daily • Apr. 10, 2026

I kept accidentally catching Noah’s eye in the mirror, and through facial expressions, tried to communicate that I was having fun and in no way subtly judging his yoga practice.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

With the women it didn't matter, but I enjoyed subtly intimidating the guys with bad backs who thought they were helping out by telling us how to pack the truck.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

Related Words

• casually
• delicately
• easily
• faintly
• freely
• gingerly
• mildly
• moderately
• quietly
• simply
• slightly
• softly
• sparsely
• tenderly
• thinly