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subtle

   Also found in: Medical, Legal, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.01 sec.
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.

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

subtle·ness n.
subtly adv.

subtle [ˈsʌtəl]
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
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
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"
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"
harmful - causing or capable of causing harm; "too much sun is harmful to the skin"; "harmful effects of smoking"

subtle
adjective
1. faint, slight, implied, delicate, indirect, understated, insinuated a subtle hint
faint blatant, 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 violetla suave fragancia or la fragancia sutil de la violeta
a subtle hint of pinkun ligero toque de rosa
there's a subtle difference between these two wordshay una diferencia sutil entre estas dos palabras
she was never very subtlenunca fue muy sutil
it was a subtle form of racismera una forma sutil de racismo
2. (= perceptive) [person] → perspicaz, agudo; [mind] → sutil, agudo; [analysis] → ingenioso

subtle [ˈsʌtəl] adj
(= not very noticeable) [difference, distinction, changes] → subtil(e)
(= clever) [person, character, manner, mind, plan] → subtil(e)
(= delicate) [flavour, scent, shade] → subtil(e)

subtle
adj
(= delicate, gentle)fein; irony, distinctionfein, subtil (geh); perfume, flavourzart, fein; hint, allusionzart, leise; charmleise, unaufdringlich
(= ingenious, not obvious) remark, argument, pointscharfsinnig, spitzfindig; problemsubtil; pressuresanft; design, construction, proofraffiniert, fein ausgedacht or ausgetüftelt (inf); he has a very subtle minder ist ein sehr subtiler Denker (geh); be subtle about itgehen Sie mit Zartgefühl vor
(= quick at seeing fine distinctions) observer, criticaufmerksam, subtil (geh)

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

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
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
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
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

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


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Without subtle ingenuity of mind, one cannot make certain of the truth of their reports.
Then she has a sage-green robe, "mystic, wonderful," all embroidered with subtle devices and flowers, and birds of tender tint; very straight and tight in front, and adorned behind, along the spine, with large, strange, iridescent buttons.
It was gravely said by some of the prelates in the Council of Trent, where the doctrine of the Schoolmen bare great sway, that the Schoolmen were like astronomers, which did feign eccentrics and epicycles, and such engines of orbs, to save the phenomena; though they knew there were no such things; and in like manner, that the Schoolmen had framed a number of subtle and intricate axioms, and theorems, to save the practice of the church.
 
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