Subtle Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

subtle · thin, tenuous, or rarefied, as a fluid or an odor. · fine or delicate in meaning or intent; difficult to perceive or understand: subtle irony. · delicate ... TopDefinitionsSynonymsQuizRelatedContentExamplesBritish📙MiddleSchoolLevelThisshowsgradelevelbasedontheword'scomplexity.subtle[suht-l]SHOWIPA/ˈsʌtl/PHONETICRESPELLINGNewWordListWordListSaveThisWord!SeesynonymsforsubtleonThesaurus.com📙MiddleSchoolLevelThisshowsgradelevelbasedontheword'scomplexity.adjective,sub·tler,sub·tlest.thin,tenuous,orrarefied,asafluidoranodor.fineordelicateinmeaningorintent;difficulttoperceiveorunderstand:subtleirony.delicateorfaintandmysterious:asubtlesmile.requiringmentalacuteness,penetration,ordiscernment:asubtlephilosophy.characterizedbymentalacutenessorpenetration:asubtleunderstanding.cunning,wily,orcrafty:asubtleliar.insidiousinoperation:subtlepoison.skillful,clever,oringenious:asubtlepainter.SEEMORESEELESSOTHERWORDSFORsubtle6sly,tricky,foxy,slick.SeesynonymsforsubtleonThesaurus.comQUIZAREYOUATRUEBLUECHAMPIONOFTHESE"BLUE"SYNONYMS?Wecouldtalkuntilwe'reblueinthefaceaboutthisquizonwordsforthecolor"blue,"butwethinkyoushouldtakethequizandfindoutifyou'reawhizatthesecolorfulterms.Question1of8Whichofthefollowingwordsdescribes“skyblue”?navyberylazureTAKETHEQUIZTOFINDOUTMeetGrammarCoachImproveYourWritingMeetGrammarCoachImproveYourWritingOriginofsubtleFirstrecordedin1250–1300;MiddleEnglishsotil,fromOldFrench,fromLatinsubtīlis“subtile”(thebofmodernspellingisfromLatin);seesubtileOTHERWORDSFROMsubtlesub·tle·ness,nounsub·tly,adverbhy·per·sub·tle,adjectivehy·per·sub·tle·ness,nounnon·sub·tle,adjectivenon·sub·tle·ness,nouno·ver·sub·tle,adjectivepseu·do·sub·tle,adjectiveun·sub·tle,adjectiveun·sub·tle·ness,nounSEEMORERELATEDFORMSSEEFEWERRELATEDFORMSWordsnearbysubtlesubtile,subtilisin,subtilize,subtilty,subtitle,subtle,subtlety,subtly,subtonic,subtopia,subtopicDictionary.comUnabridged BasedontheRandomHouseUnabridgedDictionary,©RandomHouse,Inc.2021Wordsrelatedtosubtleexquisite,faint,indirect,ingenious,profound,slight,sophisticated,understated,complex,detailed,insidious,intriguing,precise,shrewd,skillful,sly,attenuate,deep,discriminating,etherealHowtousesubtleinasentenceOnaper-millionbasis,theUnitedStates’positionin11thplacegoesto15th—aslightbutsubtleimprovement.Anonly-red-statesAmericaprobablyisn’toneTrumpwouldactuallylike|PhilipBump|September17,2020|WashingtonPostThatledConnecticut’sgovernortomakeasubtle,butcrucial,changetothestate’selectionrulesonthedaybeforetheelection.Facebook’sPoliticalAdBanAlsoThreatensAbilitytoSpreadAccurateInformationonHowtoVote|byJeremyB.MerrillforProPublica|September4,2020|ProPublicaTheanswerisalmostcertainlyyes,givenanothersubtlechangethecompanymadeinitsamendedfilingtoday.Inamendedfiling,Palantiradmitsitwon’thaveindependentboardgovernanceforuptoayear|DannyCrichton|September3,2020|TechCrunchWhat’ssubtleisthatanequivalencebetweentwoobjectsshouldberecordedasadditionaldata.ConductingtheMathematicalOrchestraFromtheMiddle|RachelCrowell|September2,2020|QuantaMagazineInsiderthreats,whereacompany’sownemployeecarriesoutacyberattackagainstit,areanespeciallyperniciousandsubtleformofhacking.Howa$1millionplottohackTeslafailed|PatrickO'Neill|August28,2020|MITTechnologyReviewAgain,thedifferencecanseemsubtleandsoundmorelikesplittinghairs,butthedifferenceisimportant.HowSkinnyIsTooSkinny?IsraelBans‘Underweight’Models|CarrieArnold|January8,2015|DAILYBEASTAtthattime,pre-9/11,thelinksweremoresubtleandhadtobehunteddown.ISIS,BokoHaram,andtheGrowingRoleofHumanTraffickingin21stCenturyTerrorism|LouiseI.Shelley|December26,2014|DAILYBEASTHammersteincontinuedhissubtlequestforracialequanimityinOklahoma!WhenBroadwayMusicalsWereDarkAndSubversive|LaurenceMaslon|December16,2014|DAILYBEASTInrecentdays,therehasbeenasubtlefeelingofdefeatpermeatingthroughthecamp.TheMonumentsMenofOccupyHongKong|BrendonHong|December4,2014|DAILYBEASTVreelandbelievesthatintheend,hisgrandmotherputhersubtlesealofapprovalonhislifestyle.FromFashionPlayertoPhotographerMonk|NinaStrochlic|December3,2014|DAILYBEASTHervoicewasstern;itboretothegirl'searsasubtle,unwordedrepetitionofthethreattheMarquisehadalreadyvoiced.St.Martin'sSummer|RafaelSabatiniItwasacuriousmoment,chargedwithasubtleperplexityofemotionsnoneofthemquiteunderstood.TheWave|AlgernonBlackwoodItwasthespiritualway,whosemethodandsecretlieinthatsubtleparadox:Yieldtoconquer.TheWave|AlgernonBlackwoodAsubtlecurrentofdesirepassedthroughherbody,weakeningherholduponthebrushesandmakinghereyesburn.TheAwakeningandSelectedShortStories|KateChopinThechampagnewascold,anditssubtlefumesplayedfantastictrickswithEdna'smemorythatnight.TheAwakeningandSelectedShortStories|KateChopinSEEMOREEXAMPLESSEEFEWEREXAMPLEStrendingarticlesWhatDo“a.m.”And“p.m.”StandFor?TheBestWaysToWishSomeoneAHappyHanukkahWhyDo“Left”And“Right”MeanLiberalAndConservative?“Epidemic”vs.“Pandemic”vs.“Endemic”:WhatDoTheseTermsMean?10TypesOfPronounsAndHowToUseThemThePopularStoryAboutBlackFriday’sNameIsAMythBritishDictionarydefinitionsforsubtlesubtle/(ˈsʌtəl)/adjectivenotimmediatelyobviousorcomprehensibledifficulttodetectoranalyse,oftenthroughbeingdelicateorhighlyrefinedasubtlescentshowingormakingorcapableofshowingormakingfinedistinctionsofmeaningmarkedbyorrequiringmentalacutenessoringenuity;discriminatingdelicateorfaintasubtleshadecunningorwilyasubtlerogueoperatingorexecutedinsecretasubtleintrigueSEEMORESEELESSDerivedformsofsubtlesubtleness,nounsubtly,adverbWordOriginforsubtleC14:fromOldFrenchsoutil,fromLatinsubtīlisfinelywovenCollinsEnglishDictionary-Complete&Unabridged2012DigitalEdition ©WilliamCollinsSons&Co.Ltd.1979,1986©HarperCollins Publishers1998,2000,2003,2005,2006,2007,2009,2012WORDOFTHEDAYstewardshipnoun|[stoo-erd-ship,styoo-]SEEDEFINITIONOthersAreReading10NewDatingSlangWordsToKnowIn2021TheMostSurprisinglySerendipitousWordsOfTheDayHowDecemberGotItsName“Have”vs.“Has”:WhenToUseEachOneFEEDBACK