subtle 
sub·tle (sut′'l)
adjective sub′·tler-lər, -'l ər, sub′·tlest
- thin; rare; tenuous; not dense or heavy a subtle gas
- capable of making or noticing fine distinctions in meaning, etc. a subtle thinker
- marked by or requiring mental keenness subtle reasoning
- delicately skillful or clever; deft or ingenious a subtle filigree
- not open or direct; crafty; sly
- delicately suggestive; not grossly obvious a subtle hint
- 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
subtle
modif.
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.
- hint: She spends the week dropping subtle hints, which I totally fail to notice.
- shade: Or perhaps it's a subtle shade of gray.
- flavor: The spinach was very bitter and perhaps slightly too much so for the more subtle flavors of the duck.
- difference: You can study for yourself the subtle differences between the parties on living wills.
- variation: The constant quest for subtle variations of taste keep old hop varieties alive.
Modifying Another Word
- deceptively: Review A deceptively subtle episode which seems slight on the surface but actually contains many key themes and moments.
- infinitely: The Celtic artists drew inspiration from the infinitely subtle mutability of nature.
- wonderfully: Walnut cabinets from Gansu sit alongside painted cabinets from Shanxi -- muted over time to leave a wonderfully subtle appearance.
- beautifully: Stunning floor to ceiling images on beautifully subtle contemporary wallpapers created just for you.
- quite: You can achieve quite subtle queries using a combination of relations.
- too: Perhaps the connection may be too subtle for the authorities!
Used with adjective complement
- seem: The difference between information and knowledge may seem very subtle at first, but in warfare it is truly critical.
- become: By attempting to block the ordering of thoughts and feelings into language, communication becomes more subtle.
- want: He wanted subtle looking cymbals with explosive sounds that would be focused, cutting, and musical.
- provide: Soft lasers provide subtle, but cumulative improvements over a longer period of time.
Preposition: in
- flavor: Like a bouillabaisse but slightly more subtle in flavor.
Johnson's aesthetic judgements are almost invariably subtle, or solid, or bold; they have always some good quality to recommend themöexcept one: theyare never right.
Raffiniert ist der Herrgott, aber boshaft ist er nicht. God is subtle, but he is not malicious.
If the red slayer think he slays, Or if the slain think he is slain, They know not well the subtle ways I keep, and pass, and turn again. See Lang 488:90.
Unlearn'd, he knew no schoolman's subtle art, No language, but the language of the heart.
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the L God had made.
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.
Browse dictionary entries near subtle
- ‹ subtitle
- ‹ subtilize
- ‹ subtile
- ‹ subtext
- ‹ subterranean
- ‹ subterfuge
- ‹ subter-
- ‹ subtend
- ‹ subtenant
- ‹ subtemperate
- subtlety ›
- subtonic ›
- subtopic ›
- subtotal ›
- subtract ›
- subtraction ›
- subtractive ›
- subtrahend ›
- subtreasury ›
- subtropical ›
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