Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Thesaurus

subtle

adjective

Synonyms and Antonyms of subtle

1 clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means

  • used subtle methods of persuasion
Synonyms of subtle

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

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 of subtle

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
Antonyms of subtle

artless, guileless, ingenuous, innocent, undesigning

2 made or done with extreme care and accuracy

  • the subtle strokes of the painterʼs brush
Synonyms of subtle

delicate, exact, fine, finespun, hairline, hairsplitting, minute, nice, nuanced, refined
Words Related to subtle

nitpicking, quibbling

frivolous, inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, negligible, petty, piddling, trifling, trivial

demanding, exacting, fastidious, finical, finicking, finicky, fussy, meticulous, particular, picky
Near Antonyms of subtle

apparent, clear, clear-cut, evident, manifest, obvious, open-and-shut, palpable, patent, perspicuous, plain, transparent, unambiguous, unequivocal, unmistakable

broad, indefinite

careless, heedless, incautious, slapdash, slipshod, sloppy
Antonyms of subtle

coarse, inexact, rough

3 satisfying or pleasing because of fineness or mildness

  • a subtle suggestion of the Near East in the soupʼs flavoring
Synonyms of subtle

airy, dainty, delicate, exquisite, nuanced, refined
Words Related to subtle

choice, elegant, extraordinary, incomparable, peerless, preeminent, prime, rare, select, superior, superlative, supreme, transcendent, unsurpassed

picked, selected

fine, fragile, frail
Near Antonyms of subtle

coarse, crude, rough

common, ordinary

average, fair, indifferent, mediocre, medium, middling, run-of-the-mill, second-rate
Antonyms of subtle

robust, strong, sturdy

Learn More about subtle

  1. See words that rhyme with subtle Dictionary: Definition of subtle Spanish Central: Translation of subtle Nglish: Translation of subtle for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of subtle for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up subtle? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show comments hide comments

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games