Definitions for subtle
ˈsʌt lsub·tle

Princeton's WordNet(3.33 / 3 votes)Rate this definition:

1. elusive, subtleadjective

   difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze

   "his whole attitude had undergone a subtle change"; "a subtle difference"; "that elusive thing the soul"

2. subtleadjective

   able to make fine distinctions

   "a subtle mind"

3. insidious, pernicious, subtleadjective

   working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way

   "glaucoma is an insidious disease"; "a subtle poison"

Wiktionary(3.67 / 3 votes)Rate this definition:

1. subtleadjective

   Hard to grasp; not obvious or easily understood; barely noticeable.

   The difference is subtle, but you can hear it if you listen carefully.

   Etymology: From sotil, subtil, from soutil, later subtil, subtil, from subtilis; probably, originally, “woven fine”, and from sub + tela, from texere.

2. subtleadjective

   Cleverly contrived.

   Etymology: From sotil, subtil, from soutil, later subtil, subtil, from subtilis; probably, originally, “woven fine”, and from sub + tela, from texere.

3. subtleadjective

   Cunning, skillful.

   Etymology: From sotil, subtil, from soutil, later subtil, subtil, from subtilis; probably, originally, “woven fine”, and from sub + tela, from texere.

4. subtleadjective

   insidious

   Etymology: From sotil, subtil, from soutil, later subtil, subtil, from subtilis; probably, originally, “woven fine”, and from sub + tela, from texere.

5. subtleadjective

   Tenuous; rarefied; of low density or thin consistency.

   Etymology: From sotil, subtil, from soutil, later subtil, subtil, from subtilis; probably, originally, “woven fine”, and from sub + tela, from texere.

Webster Dictionary(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Subtle

   sly in design; artful; cunning; insinuating; subtile; -- applied to persons; as, a subtle foe

2. Subtle

   cunningly devised; crafty; treacherous; as, a subtle stratagem

3. Subtle

   characterized by refinement and niceness in drawing distinctions; nicely discriminating; -- said of persons; as, a subtle logician; refined; tenuous; sinuous; insinuating; hence, penetrative or pervasive; -- said of the mind; its faculties, or its operations; as, a subtle intellect; a subtle imagination; a subtle process of thought; also, difficult of apprehension; elusive

4. Subtle

   smooth and deceptive

Freebase(2.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Subtle

   Subtle was an alternative hip hop sextet from Oakland, California. It consisted of Adam Drucker, Jeffrey Logan, Dax Pierson, Jordan Dalrymple, Alexander Kort, and Marty Dowers. The band was formed in 2001. While considered by the artists to be "genreless", Subtle had close ties to the hip hop and indie music scene. Although both Doseone and Jel have strong ties to the Anticon collective, Subtle was not on the Anticon label roster. Subtle was signed to Lex Records.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Subtle

   sut′l (B. Sub′til), adj. subtile in a figurative sense: acute, quick to discern or discriminate: insinuating, sly, artful: cunningly devised, ingenious.—ns. Subt′leness, Subt′lety, quality of being subtle: artfulness: shrewdness: extreme acuteness.—adj. Subt′le-wit′ted, sharp-witted.—adv. Subt′ly (B. Sub′tilly), ingeniously, cleverly: artfully, deceitfully. [Contr. of subtile.]

Suggested Resources(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. subtle

   Song lyrics by subtle -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by subtle on the Lyrics.com website.

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'subtle' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #4833

2. Adjectives Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'subtle' in Adjectives Frequency: #659

Anagrams for subtle »

1. bluets

2. bluest

3. bustle

4. sublet

How to pronounce subtle?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say subtle in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of subtle in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of subtle in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7

Examples of subtle in a Sentence

1. Bill Condon:

   …Josh [Gad] makes something really subtle and delicious out it said, and that’s what has its pay-off at the end, which I don’t want to give away. But it’s a nice, exclusively gay moment in a Disney movie.

2. Sydney Harris:

   We have not passed that subtle line between childhood and adulthood until we move from the passive voice to the active voice-that is, until we have stopped saying 'It got lost,' and say, 'I lost it.'

3. Maida Galvez:

   Population-based studies have demonstrated the potential for subtle IQ deficits at [blood lead] levels as low as five micrograms perdeciliter.

4. Deodatta V. Shenai-Khatkhate:

   There is a subtle difference between Charity and Philanthropy. In my view, the act of Charity is when you give a fish to the hungry person, while Philanthropy is when you teach her/him how to fish. Our world needs both, Charity as well as Philanthropy.

5. Franklin D. Roosevelt:

   We have here a human as well as an economic problem. When humane considerations are concerned, Americans give them precedence. The lessons of history, confirmed by the evidence immediately before me, show conclusively that continued dependence upon relief induces a spiritual and moral disintegration fundamentally destructive to the national fibre. To dole out relief in this way is to administer a narcotic, a subtle destroyer of the human spirit.

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