subtle
- 1So small or gentle that it is hard to notice.
Like a small wink you might miss if you blink.
She gave a subtle nod toward the door.
The dancer's movements were so subtle the audience barely saw them shift.
Similarslight, faint, delicate, understated
Oppositeobvious, blatant, pronounced, conspicuous
Note
- 2Slight and gentle, not strong or easy to notice.
Like a smell so faint you are not sure it is there.
The sauce had a subtle hint of ginger.
Her perfume was subtle, just a faint trace in the air.
Similarvague, faint, hazy, indistinct, obscure
Oppositebold, pronounced, strong
Note
- 3Hard to understand because it deals with very small differences.
Like a puzzle with pieces that look almost the same.
The teacher made a subtle point that most students missed.
His argument was too subtle for me to follow at first.
Similarfine, nuanced, delicate
Oppositesimple, straightforward, obvious, clear
Note
- 4Causing harm slowly and quietly, in a way you do not notice at first.
Like rust that eats away at metal without you seeing it.
The disease is subtle, doing damage long before any symptoms appear.
A subtle leak slowly weakened the building's foundation.
Note
- 5
- 6Kind and careful about other people's feelings.
She was subtle enough to change the subject before anyone felt hurt.
A subtle friend, he noticed her sadness and quietly stayed close.
Similartactful, discreet, diplomatic, sensitive
Oppositetactless, indiscreet, blunt, insensitive
- 7Having a soft, gentle touch in art or music.
The pianist was subtle, shading each phrase with great care.
Her painting showed a subtle handling of light and shadow.
Similardelicate, sensitive, refined
Oppositeheavy-handed, crude
- 8
- 9People or things that are hard to notice, taken together as a group.
Like putting all the quiet, gentle things into one box.
In painting, the subtle often lasts longer than the loud.
She had a sharp eye for the subtle.
- 10
- 11Skillful and quick with the hands.
The weaver's subtle fingers worked the threads into fine patterns.
With subtle hands the surgeon closed the deep wound.
Note
- 12Made of fine, delicate material and very finely made.
Note
- 13Ground into a very fine powder, or made of tiny particles.
Like flour ground so fine that it floats in the air.
The apothecary reduced the dried root to a subtle powder.
A subtle dust settled over the workshop, fine as flour.
Note
- 14Having a thin, slender shape or build.
Like a thin blade of grass.
The dancer had long, subtle fingers.
Her waist was so subtle that her belt kept slipping down.
Note
- 15Cleverly made or cleverly planned, showing great skill.
Note
- 16Of a weight, left after the empty container's weight is taken away.
Like weighing fruit without counting the bowl it sits in.
The subtle weight of the cargo, once the crates were removed, came to two tons.
Buyers paid only for the subtle weight, not the sack.
Oppositegross
Note
- 17Of ground for bowling, not smooth but bumpy and uneven.
[V]pon Tityus his breſt, that (for ſixe of the nine acres) is counted the ſubtleſt bovvling-ground in all Tartary.
1631, [Ben Jonson], Chloridia. Rites to Chloris and Her Nymphs.Here, subtlest means most uneven or bumpy, so the bowling ground is rough.Note
- 18Of a ship, narrow and slender in build.
Note
- 19To make something less strong, so it is only lightly noticed or quietly done.
Showing meanings only.
Practice
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Origin
The adjective comes from Latin subtilis, meaning fine or delicate, made from sub ('under') and tela ('threads in a loom, web'). It came into English through Old French and Middle English.