subtle

subtle
[[t]sʌ̱t(ə)l[/t]]
subtler, subtlest
1) ADJ-GRADED Something that is subtle is not immediately obvious or noticeable.

...the slow and subtle changes that take place in all living things...

Intolerance can take subtler forms too.

Ant:
blatant, obvious
Derived words:
subtly ADV-GRADED

The truth is subtly different...

We change subtly all the time.

2) ADJ-GRADED A subtle person cleverly uses indirect methods to achieve something.

I even began to exploit him in subtle ways...

He is a subtle character, you know.

Derived words:
subtly ADV-GRADED ADV with v

What I've tried very subtly to do is to reclaim language.

3) ADJ-GRADED Subtle smells, tastes, sounds, or colours are pleasantly complex and delicate.

...subtle shades of brown.

...delightfully subtle scents.

...whole aubergines in a very subtle sauce.

Ant:
Derived words:
subtly ADV-GRADED

...a white sofa teamed with subtly coloured rugs.


English dictionary. 2008.

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Synonyms:

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Subtle — Тип Менеджер окон Разработчик Christoph Kappel Написана на C Операционная система POSIX совместимые Последняя версия 0.9 Тестовая версия последняя ревизия Darcs …   Википедия

  • Subtle — Sub tle, a. [Compar. {Subtler}; superl. {Subtlest}.] [OE. sotil, subtil, OF. soutil, later subtil, F. subtil, L. subtilis; probably, originally, woven fine, and fr. sub under + tela a web, fr. texere to weave. See {Text}, and cf. {Subtile}.] 1.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • subtle — [sut′ l] adj. subtler [sut′lər, sut′ l ər] subtlest [ME sotil < OFr soutil < L subtilis, fine, thin, precise, orig., closely woven < sub (see SUB ) + tela, web < * texla < texere, to weave: see TECHNIC] 1. thin; rare; tenuous; not… …   English World dictionary

  • Subtle — est un groupe composé par Adam Drucker, Jeffrey Logan, Dax Pierson, Jordan Dalrymple, Alexander Kort, et Marty Dowers. Bien que Adam (alias Doseone) et Jeffrey (alias Jel) soient signés sur anticon., le groupe Subtle ne fait pas partie du… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Subtle — may refer to:*Subtle, a musical group consisting of members of the anticon. hip hop collective *Doctor Subtilis, John Duns Scotus *Subtle body, an idea in mysticism * The Subtle Knife , a novel by Philip Pullman and the second book in the trilogy …   Wikipedia

  • subtle — [adj1] nice, quiet, delicate attenuate, attenuated, deep, discriminating, ethereal, exquisite, faint, fine, finespun, hairline, hairsplitting, illusive, implied, inconspicuous, indirect, indistinct, inferred, ingenious, insinuated, mental,… …   New thesaurus

  • subtle — ► ADJECTIVE (subtler, subtlest) 1) so delicate or precise as to be difficult to analyse or describe. 2) capable of making fine distinctions. 3) delicately complex and understated: subtle lighting. 4) making use of clever and indirect methods to… …   English terms dictionary

  • subtle — I (insidious) adjective canny, contriving, crafty, cunning, deceitful, deceptive, designing, feline, guileful, illusive, implied, indistinct, inferred, insinuated, intriguing, serpentine, shifty, shrewd, sly, sophistical, stealthy, tricky,… …   Law dictionary

  • subtle — c.1300, sutel, soutil, in ref. to things, of thin consistency; in ref. to craftsmen, skilled, clever, from O.Fr. soutil, from L. subtilis fine, thin, delicate, finely woven, from sub under (see SUB (Cf. sub )) + tilis, from tela web and texere …   Etymology dictionary

  • subtle — *logical, analytical Analogous words: penetrating, piercing, probing (see ENTER): *deep, profound: abstruse, *recondite Antonyms: dense (in mind): blunt (in speech) …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • subtle — has a corresponding adverb subtly, and the noun is subtlety (which is also countable with a plural form subtleties). The b is silent in all these forms …   Modern English usage

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