subtle

noun

People or things that are subtle (adjective sense) as a class.

verb

(chiefly US) To make (something) subtle (“giving only a slight impression; also, skilfully restrained or understated”).

(obsolete, rare, uncertain) To burn (someone or something) to ash.

adjective

Senses relating to tangible things.

Of an action or movement: very delicate or slight, and thus barely noticeable; not obvious; inconspicuous, unintrusive.

Senses relating to intangible things.

Of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; nice; also (generally), difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious.

Giving only a slight impression; elusive, indistinct; also, skilfully restrained or understated.

Of an artist, a musician, etc.: having a light touch; sensitive.

Of a person: sensitive to the feelings of others; discreet, tactful.

Of a person, their intellect or mind, etc.: discerning, perceptive, shrewd, wise.

Acting (especially causing harm) in a stealthy, often gradual, manner; insidious.

(archaic) Having a delicate or fine substance or texture; hence, exquisite, refined.

(archaic) Slender, thin.

(archaic) Of a substance: finely powdered; also, of particles of a substance: very fine or small.

(archaic) Of weight: after the tare (“weight of an empty container”) has been subtracted; net.

(historical) Of a substance, especially a gas or liquid: of low density or thin consistency; rarefied, tenuous; hence, tending to spread everywhere due to this quality.

(nautical, obsolete, rare except historical) Synonym of subtile (“of a ship: narrow, slender”).

(archaic) Of a person or their fingers or hands, their ability, etc.: dexterous, skilful.

(archaic) Of a person or animal, or of an action or words: clever or skilful in a crafty or devious way; cunning, sly, wily.

(obsolete) Of ground used for bowling: not smooth; uneven.

(obsolete) Of an object: cleverly contrived or made; also, of a plan, etc.: cleverly contrived or carried out.

Roots

subtilissubtle- · Latin · fine, delicate

Synonyms for subtle

subtile insidiousadj elusiveadj artfuladj finespunadj delicateadj slyadj tactfuladj cleveradj sneakyadj tricksyadj astuteadj sophisticatedadj

Synonyms & related words for subtle

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of subtle — including subtile, insidious, elusive, artful, finespun, delicate. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to subtle

Explore words related to subtle — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include oversubtle, subtler, subtlest, subtleness, subtly, supersubtle, subtleties, oversubtlety. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for subtle

Common synonyms for subtle include subtile, insidious, elusive, artful, finespun, delicate, sly, tactful — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does subtle come from?

The word subtle breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root subtle-, from Latin subtilis (“fine, delicate”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.