unsubtle
adjective
un·sub·tle
ˌən-ˈsə-tᵊl 
unsubtler; unsubtlest
: not indirect or difficult to perceive : not subtle
an unsubtle hint/reminder
Historical records suggest that subtle variations in the sun's energy output can have decidedly unsubtle effects on the earth's climate …—
M. Mitchell Waldrop
M. Mitchell Waldrop
Examples of unsubtle in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Last March, Trump held the first rally of his 2024 Presidential campaign in Waco, Texas—a choice with unsubtle significance.
—Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024
The party expresses its new ideology in simplistic, brassy terms, drawing on unsubtle readings of classics and disallowing critiques.
—Rana Mitter, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
Fans will catch the unsubtle allusion to Spider-Man/Peter Parker’s paternalistic and doomed Uncle Ben.
—Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2024
Often there was the unsubtle hint that the only way out of Covid restrictions was to elect Trump’s opponent.
—Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 24 Jan. 2024
Those who stepped forward were assigned to a dizzying array of new enforcement bodies, with rather unsubtle names.
—Rob Copeland, Fortune, 11 Nov. 2023
Friel is unsubtle about this: the famine will arrive in just a few years, and characters are already worried about the possibility of blight.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2023
Identifying with Swift confirms the flush of media approval, but adult moviegoers cannot accept The Eras Tour, with its unsubtle reference to the Equal Rights Amendment and the singer’s liberal-progressive misandrist agenda.
—Armond White, National Review, 18 Oct. 2023
China’s unrelenting pressure campaign in Taiwanese airspace, its significant military buildup, and Xi’s unsubtle hints about using force to absorb the island have led many leaders in the U.S. and around the world to believe that China could one day use force against Taiwan.
—Mike Watson, National Review, 25 Sep. 2023
Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024
The party expresses its new ideology in simplistic, brassy terms, drawing on unsubtle readings of classics and disallowing critiques.
—Rana Mitter, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
Fans will catch the unsubtle allusion to Spider-Man/Peter Parker’s paternalistic and doomed Uncle Ben.
—Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2024
Often there was the unsubtle hint that the only way out of Covid restrictions was to elect Trump’s opponent.
—Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 24 Jan. 2024
Those who stepped forward were assigned to a dizzying array of new enforcement bodies, with rather unsubtle names.
—Rob Copeland, Fortune, 11 Nov. 2023
Friel is unsubtle about this: the famine will arrive in just a few years, and characters are already worried about the possibility of blight.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2023
Identifying with Swift confirms the flush of media approval, but adult moviegoers cannot accept The Eras Tour, with its unsubtle reference to the Equal Rights Amendment and the singer’s liberal-progressive misandrist agenda.
—Armond White, National Review, 18 Oct. 2023
China’s unrelenting pressure campaign in Taiwanese airspace, its significant military buildup, and Xi’s unsubtle hints about using force to absorb the island have led many leaders in the U.S. and around the world to believe that China could one day use force against Taiwan.
—Mike Watson, National Review, 25 Sep. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unsubtle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of unsubtle was
in the 15th century
Dictionary Entries Near unsubtle
Cite this Entry
“Unsubtle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unsubtle. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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