English Explanatory Dictionary

subtle

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Senses relating to tangible things.
  2. Of an action or movement: very delicate or slight, and thus barely noticeable; not obvious; inconspicuous, unintrusive.
  3. Having a delicate or fine substance or texture; hence, exquisite, refined.
  4. Slender, thin.
  5. Of a substance: finely powdered; also, of particles of a substance: very fine or small.
  6. Of weight: after the tare (“weight of an empty container”) has been subtracted; net.
  7. 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.
  8. Synonym of subtile (“of a ship: narrow, slender”).
  9. Senses relating to intangible things.
  10. 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.
  11. Giving only a slight impression; elusive, indistinct; also, skilfully restrained or understated.
  12. Of an artist, a musician, etc.: having a light touch; sensitive.
noun
  1. People or things that are subtle (adjective sense) as a class.
verb
  1. To make (something) subtle (“giving only a slight impression; also, skilfully restrained or understated”).
  2. To burn (someone or something) to ash.

Pronunciation

sŭt'l /ˈsʌtl̩/ /ˈsʌtəl/ [ˈsʌɾɫ̩] En-us-subtle.ogg LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-subtle.wav

Word forms

subtle subtler more subtle subtlest most subtle subtil subtile subtill suttle the subtle subtles subtling subtled

Etymology

The adjective is derived from Middle English sotil, soubtil, subtil (“of a person, the mind, etc.: clever, ingenious, penetrating; cunning, sly; insidious; delicate, fine; not dense, light, thin; finely powdered; narrow, slender; etc.”), borrowed from Anglo-Norman sotel, subtil, sutil, Middle French soutil, subtil, sutil, and Old French sotil, soutil, subtil, sutil (“of an object: skilfully designed or made; delicate, fine; slender, thin; of an intangible thing: difficult to understand; of a person: discerning, shrewd; devious, sly; etc.”) (modern French subtil), from Latin subtīlis (“of texture: delicate, fine; slender, thin; accurate, keen; having fine judgment; etc.”), from sub (“below, under”) + tēla (“warp (threads running lengthwise in a loom); web”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *tetḱ- (“to create, produce; to cut, hew”), from *teḱ- (“to beget, sire”)). The word displaced Old English smēag (literally “creeping”). The modern and Middle English (and French) spellings with -b- are influenced by Latin subtīlis; the letter was probably never pronounced. The noun is derived from Middle English sotil, soubtil, subtil (“wise person; sophisticated people collectively”), from the adjective.

Synonyms

subtle tricky nice delicate knotty subtile dim fuzzy hazy ill-defined ill-marked indefinite indistinct indistinguishable muzzy obscure undefined vague astute clairvoyant deep frood grounded judicious oracular perspicacious politic profound prudent quick-witted reasonable sagacious sage sapient sensible wise witful artful cautelous crafty cunning devious diabolical foxlike foxy guileful shrewd slim sly tricksy vulpine wily

Antonyms

manifest obvious simple gross straightforward apparent arrant undoubted glaring bait blatant clear clear as a bell clear as day clear cut conspicuous crystal clear cut and dried decided elucidate evident eyely intuitive notable noticeable open-and-shut ostensible palpable patent plain plain as a haystack plain as a pikestaff plain as day plain as Dunstable highway plain as porridge plain as print plain as Salisbury plain as the nose on one's face prima facie res ipsa loquitur splendent undissembled acute distinct keen sharp vivid asinine balmy barmy bedaft loony daft derpy dim-headed dim-witted dopey dull-headed dull-witted dumb

Derived words

nonsubtle oversubtle oversubtlety subtely subtile subtilise subtilize subtilist subtlist subtle body subtle jack subtlely subtleness subtleship subtlety subtly supersubtle supersubtlety suprasubtle suprasubtlety suttle ultrasubtle unsubtle unsubtleness unsubtlety unsubtly outsubtle subtling
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