Definitions for subtle
ˈsʌt lsub·tle

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:3.3 / 3 votes

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"

WiktionaryRate this definition:3.7 / 3 votes

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.

2. subtleadjective

   Cleverly contrived.

3. subtleadjective

   Cunning, skillful.

4. subtleadjective

   insidious

5. subtleadjective

   Tenuous; rarefied; of low density or thin consistency.

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

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Subtleadjective

   Sly; artful; cunning.

   Some subtle headed fellow will put some quirk, or devise some evasion, whereof the rest will take hold. Edmund Spenser.

   Shall we think the subtle witted French
   Conj’rers and sorc’rers, that, afraid of him,
   By magick verse have thus contriv’d his end? William Shakespeare, H. VI.

   The serpent, subtlest beast of all the field. John Milton.

   The Arabians were men of a deep and subtle wit. Thomas Sprat.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. subtle

   Subtle can be described as something that is delicate, understated, or not easily noticeable. It often refers to a quality or characteristic that is not obvious or blatant, requiring careful observation or analysis to be fully understood or appreciated. Subtle can also refer to a clever or nuanced approach, strategy, or communication style that effectively conveys a message or intention without being overly direct or explicit.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

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

WikidataRate this definition:2.0 / 2 votes

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 DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

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 ResourcesRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

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

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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Anagrams for subtle »

1. bluest

2. bluets

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. Sun Tzu, The Art of War:

   It does not take sharp eyes to see the sun and the moon, nor does it take sharp ears to hear the thunderclap. Wisdom is not obvious. You must see the subtle and notice the hidden to be victorious.

2. Chris Evans ':

   I like the fact that they're skewing Spider-Man young because that's how he is in the comic books. He's a young kid, and Tom Holland has this really great innocence and naivete but sense of subtle maturity.

3. Sun-tzu:

   Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponent's fate.

4. Epic Games:

   Recent events are a heavy reminder of ongoing injustices in society, from the denial of basic human rights to the impact of racism both overt and subtle against people of color, the team is eager to move Fortnite forward, but we need to balance the Season 3 launch with time for the team to focus on themselves, their families, and their communities.

5. Francis Bacon:

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

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=subtle
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Subtle
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=subtle
4. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
5. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subtle
6. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=subtle
7. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=subtle
8. ^ Usage in printed sources
   https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=subtle