Definitions for subtle
ˈsʌt lsub·tle

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

1. elusive, subtle(adj)

   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. subtle(adj)

   able to make fine distinctions

   "a subtle mind"

3. insidious, pernicious, subtle(adj)

   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. subtle(Adjective)

   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. subtle(Adjective)

   Cleverly contrived.

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

3. subtle(Adjective)

   Cunning, skillful.

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

4. subtle(Adjective)

   insidious

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

5. subtle(Adjective)

   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

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

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. Patrick Ta:

   When you’re choosing to do a pink shadow, you should choose a vibrant pink that actually shows, when you choose something too subtle, it can make your eyes look a little sick.

2. 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.

3. Francis Bacon:

   Histories make men wise poets, witty the mathematics, subtle natural philosophy, deep moral, grave logic and rhetoric, able to contend.

4. National Science Foundation:

   Black holes have sparked imaginations for decades, they have exotic properties and are mysterious to us. Yet with more observations like this one they are yielding their secrets. This is why NSF exists. We enable scientists and engineers to illuminate the unknown, to reveal the subtle and complex majesty of our universe.

5. Thea Suh:

   Racism against people of Asian descent has been subtle in Germany, but it has always been here, with this recent coronavirus outbreak, it has just gotten worse... we are basically stuck between getting ridiculed and being the recipient of disgust.

Images & Illustrations of subtle

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