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subtle definition

sub·tle (sut′'l)

adjective subtler sub′·tler (-lər, -'l ər), subtlest sub′·tlest

  1. thin; rare; tenuous; not dense or heavy a subtle gas
    1. capable of making or noticing fine distinctions in meaning, etc. a subtle thinker
    2. marked by or requiring mental keenness subtle reasoning
  3. delicately skillful or clever; deft or ingenious a subtle filigree
  4. not open or direct; crafty; sly
  5. delicately suggestive; not grossly obvious a subtle hint
  6. working insidiously; not easily detected a subtle poison

Etymology: ME sotil < OFr soutil < L subtilis, fine, thin, precise, orig., closely woven < sub- (see sub-) + tela, web < *texla < texere, to weave: see technic

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

subtle Synonyms

subtle

modif.

  1. Delicately suggestive

    indirect, implied, insinuated, inferred, illusive; see also mental, suggestive.

  2. Precise

    definite, complex, exact; see detailed.

  3. Clever

    ingenious, crafty, deft, shrewd.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

subtle Usage Examples

Preposition: about

  • comedy: Show Full Review There was nothing subtle about the comedy of Arthur Lucan and Kitty McShane.

Preposition: as

  • brick: As " subtle as a brick " is how my best friend describes me!

Adjective complement with noun phrase

  • do: Steve Harris: I'm not sure I've ever done anything particularly subtle.

Modifies a noun

  • nuance: From a distance, the Taj Mahal's marble picks up the subtle nuances of the changing light.

Modifying Another Word

  • deceptively: Review A deceptively subtle episode which seems slight on the surface but actually contains many key themes and moments.

Used with adjective complement

  • seem: The difference between information and knowledge may seem very subtle at first, but in warfare it is truly critical.

Preposition: in

  • flavor: Like a bouillabaisse but slightly more subtle in flavor.
subtle usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

subtle quotes

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the L God had made.

-Bible (Old Testament)

Writing stopped being fun when I discovered the difference between good writing and bad, and then made aneven moreterrifying discoveryöthe difference between very good writing and true art: it is subtle, but savage.

-Capote,Truman

Raffiniert ist der Herrgott, aber boshaft ist er nicht. God is subtle, but he is not malicious.

-Einstein, Albert

subtle quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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"subtle." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/subtle>

APA Style

subtle. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/subtle

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