subtle

sub·tle  (stl)

adj. sub·tler, sub·tlest

1.

a. So slight as to be difficult to detect or describe; elusive: a subtle smile.

b. Difficult to understand; abstruse: an argument whose subtle point was lost on her opponent.

2. Able to make fine distinctions: a subtle mind.

3.

a. Characterized by skill or ingenuity; clever.

b. Crafty or sly; devious.

c. Operating in a hidden, usually injurious way; insidious: a subtle poison.

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[Middle English sotil, from Old French, from Latin subtlis; see teks- in Indo-European roots.]

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subtle·ness n.

subtly adv.

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subtle [ˈsʌt^əl]

adj

1. not immediately obvious or comprehensible

2. difficult to detect or analyse, often through being delicate or highly refined a subtle scent

3. showing or making or capable of showing or making fine distinctions of meaning

4. marked by or requiring mental acuteness or ingenuity; discriminating

5. delicate or faint a subtle shade

6. cunning or wily a subtle rogue

7. operating or executed in secret a subtle intrigue

[from Old French soutil, from Latin subtīlis finely woven]

subtleness  n

subtly  adv

Thesaurus

Adj.	1.	subtle - 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" elusive impalpable - imperceptible to the senses or the mind; "an impalpable cloud"; "impalpable shadows"; "impalpable distinctions"; "as impalpable as a dream"
	2.	subtle - able to make fine distinctions; "a subtle mind" perceptive - having the ability to perceive or understand; keen in discernment; "a perceptive eye"; "a perceptive observation"
	3.	subtle - working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way; "glaucoma is an insidious disease"; "a subtle poison" pernicious, insidious harmful - causing or capable of causing harm; "too much sun is harmful to the skin"; "harmful effects of smoking"

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subtle

adjective

1. faint, slight, implied, delicate, indirect, understated, insinuated a subtle hint
faint blatant, obvious

2. crafty, cunning, sly, designing, scheming, intriguing, shrewd, ingenious, astute, devious, wily, artful, Machiavellian He is a subtle character, you know.
crafty straightforward, blunt, downright, artless, guileless, direct, simple, obvious

3. muted, soft, faint, subdued, low-key, toned down subtle shades of brown

4. fine, minute, narrow, tenuous, hair-splitting There was, however, a subtle distinction between the two lawsuits.

Translations

subtle [ˈsʌtl] ADJ (subtler (compar) (subtlest (superl)))

1. (= delicate, fine) [perfume, flavour] → suave, sutil; [colour] → tenue; [charm, beauty, nuance, reminder, person] → sutil; [humour, irony] → sutil, fino
the subtle fragrance of the violet → la suave fragancia or la fragancia sutil de la violeta
a subtle hint of pink → un ligero toque de rosa
there's a subtle difference between these two words → hay una diferencia sutil entre estas dos palabras
she was never very subtle → nunca fue muy sutil
it was a subtle form of racism → era una forma sutil de racismo

2. (= perceptive) [person] → perspicaz, agudo; [mind] → sutil, agudo; [analysis] → ingenioso

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subtle [ˈsʌt^əl] adj

(= not very noticeable) [difference, distinction, changes] → subtil(e)

(= clever) [person, character, manner, mind, plan] → subtil(e)

(= delicate) [flavour, scent, shade] → subtil(e)

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subtle

adj

(= delicate, gentle) → fein; irony, distinction → fein, subtil (geh); perfume, flavour → zart, fein; hint, allusion → zart, leise; charm → leise, unaufdringlich

(= ingenious, not obvious) remark, argument, point → scharfsinnig, spitzfindig; problem → subtil; pressure → sanft; design, construction, proof → raffiniert, fein ausgedacht or ausgetüftelt (inf); he has a very subtle mind → er ist ein sehr subtiler Denker (geh); be subtle about it → gehen Sie mit Zartgefühl vor

(= quick at seeing fine distinctions) observer, critic → aufmerksam, subtil (geh)

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subtle [ˈsʌtl] adj (gen) → sottile; (flavour, perfume) → delicato/a

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subtle [ˈsʌtl] adj (gen) → sottile; (flavour, perfume) → delicato/a

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subtle

adj subtle [ˈsatl]

1 faint or delicate in quality, and therefore difficult to describe or explain There is a subtle difference between `unnecessary' and `not necessary'; a subtle flavour. subtiel دَقيق، خَفيف едва доловим nepatrný, jemný svag; raffineret fein λεπτός, μικρός, απροσδιόριστος sutil peen, õhkõrn نامحسوس hieno subtil עָדִין सूक्ष्म, अतिसूक्ष्म fin, nježan finom halus daufur, óljós; hárfínn sottile 微妙な 미세한 subtilus, vos juntamas, švelnus smalks; tikko jaušams; grūti nosakāms tidak ketara subtiel svak, subtil, spissfindig subtelny, delikatny subtil sub­til тонкий; едва различный nepatrný, jemný komaj opazen suptilan subtil, hårfin บาง anlaşılması güç 細微的 тонкий; ледь відчутний ہلکا، نازک không dễ phát hiện 细微的

2 clever or cunning He has a subtle mind. slim ذَكي، ماهِر хитър bystrý udspekuleret scharfsinnig οξυδερκής, κοφτερός agudo, perspicaz; inteligente; astuto terav هوشمندانه terävä fin מְתוּחכָּם निपुण, दक्ष, प्रवीण oštrouman, pronicav körmönfont cerdik glöggur sottile, acuto 鋭敏な 영리한 aštrus, įžvalgus smalks; viltīgs licik spitsvondig skarp(sindig) bystry subtil rafi­nat острый bystrý premeten suptilan skarpsinnig เฉียบแหลม kurnaz 精明的 хитрий, підступний چالاک tinh vi, tinh tế 精明的

n subtlety [ˈsatlti]

subtiliteit دِقَّه، رِقَّه، ذَكاء، مَهارَه неуловимост jemnost udspekulerethed die Feinheit λεπτότητα, φινέτσα sutileza peenus بطرز هوشمندانه hienous subtilité תִחכּום निपुर्णतापूर्वक finoća, domišljatost finomság; ravaszság kecerdikan það að vera óljós/hárfínn; kænska sottigliezza 微妙さ 미세함 subtilumas smalkums; viltība dengan licik subtiliteit, spitsvondigheid finurlighet; skarpsindighet delikatność subtileza subtilitate тонкость; острота jemnosť nežnost, prefinjenost suptilnost subtilitet ความบอบบาง kurnazlık 細微，微妙 тонкість; хитрість لطافت sự tinh vi 细微，微妙

adv subtly

subtiel بِدِقَّه، بِذكاء، بِمَهارَه умело slabounce svagt; raffineret fein λεπτά, έξυπνα sutilmente delikaatselt هوشمندي hiuksenhienosti subtilement בְּתִחכּום सूक्ष्म रूप से fino, istančano finoman, elmésen, ravaszul secara cerdik glögglega; fínlega sottilmente 微妙に 미묘하게; 교묘하게 subtiliai smalki; viltīgi sifat tidak ketara subtiel, spitsvondig hårfint; skarpsindig delikatnie subtilmente (în mod) subtil тонко; остро slabučko nežno suptilno subtilt อย่างบอบบาง; อย่างหลักแหลม kurnazca 精明地 тонко; ледве вловимо لطافت سے tinh vi, tinh tế,khó thấy 精明地

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subtle → مُهذّب detailní subtil fein ανεπαίσθητος sutil hienovarainen subtil suptilan sottile 微妙な 미묘한 subtiel subtil subtelny subtil, sutil едва различимый subtil ซึ่งบอกเป็นนัยๆ belli belirsiz khó thấy 微妙的