subtle

sub·tle

adjective \ˈsə-t^əl\

sub·tler \ˈsət-lər, ˈsə-t^əl-ər\ sub·tlest \ˈsət-ləst, ˈsə-t^əl-əst\

Definition of SUBTLE

1

a : delicate, elusive <a subtle fragrance>

b : difficult to understand or perceive : obscure <subtle differences in sound>

2

a : perceptive, refined <a writer's sharp and subtle moral sense>

b : having or marked by keen insight and ability to penetrate deeply and thoroughly <a subtle scholar>

3

a : highly skillful : expert <a subtle craftsman>

b : cunningly made or contrived : ingenious

4

: artful, crafty <a subtle rogue>

5

: operating insidiously <subtle poisons>

— sub·tle·ness \ˈsə-t^əl-nəs\ noun

— sub·tly \ˈsət-lē, ˈsə-t^əl-(l)ē\ adverb

Examples of SUBTLE

1. a subtle difference in meaning between the words
2. Racial discrimination still exists, only now it's subtler than it once was.
3. When it comes to giving criticism, sometimes it's best to take a subtle approach.
4. He didn't seem to understand my subtle hints.
5. It was her subtle way of telling me to mind my own business.
6. She has a subtle mind.
7. Although artists and patrons in Venice still sought images of ideal figures, they insisted that this imagery be rooted in a more subtle and insightful interpretation of human life and character. —Andrew Butterfield, New York Review of Books, 16 July 2009
8. These days, some of the most exciting cooking with brown rice is taking place in Japan, where purveyors are beginning to embrace the subtle variations that can be achieved through custom-milling and cooks are repurposing traditional techniques and dishes to accommodate the food's flavors and textures. —Karen Shimizu, Saveur, May 2008
9. The language of the face communicates maximum information through the subtlest inflections. The interfaces of our souls are designed to be read in a heartbeat. —Steve Silberman, Wired, May 2003

Origin of SUBTLE

Middle English sotil, subtile, from Anglo-French, from Latin subtilis, literally, finely textured, from sub- + tela cloth on a loom; akin to Latin texere to weave — more at technical

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to SUBTLE

Synonyms

beguiling, cagey (also cagy), crafty, cunning, cute, designing, devious, dodgy [chiefly British], foxy, guileful, scheming, shrewd, slick, sly, artful, tricky, wily

Antonyms

artless, guileless, ingenuous, innocent, undesigning

Related Words

astute, facile, glib, sharp; crooked, deceitful, deceptive, dishonest, fraudulent, insinuating, knavish, Machiavellian, oblique, serpentine, shady, shifty, slippery, sneaky, treacherous, underhand, underhanded, unscrupulous; backhanded, double-dealing, hypocritical, insincere, left-handed, mealy, mealymouthed, smooth-tongued, two-faced; circuitous, circular, roundabout; clandestine, concealed, covert, furtive, hugger-mugger, secret, stealthy, surreptitious, undercover; calculating, plotting

Near Antonyms

obvious, open, patent, plain, public, unconcealed; aboveboard, candid, direct, forthright, frank, honest, natural, outspoken, plainspoken, real, simple, sincere, straightforward, unaffected, unpretending, unpretentious, unvarnished; childlike, impressionable, simpleminded, unsophisticated, unworldly; unforced, unstudied; trustful, trusting

Rhymes with SUBTLE

scuttle, shuttle, subtile