Subtle Definition
sŭtl
subtler, subtlest
adjective
subtler, subtlest
So slight as to be difficult to detect or describe; elusive.
A subtle smile.
American Heritage
Thin; rare; tenuous; not dense or heavy.
A subtle gas.
Webster's New World
Difficult to understand; abstruse.
An argument whose subtle point was lost on her opponent.
American Heritage
Capable of making or noticing fine distinctions in meaning, etc.
A subtle thinker.
Webster's New World
Marked by or requiring mental keenness.
Subtle reasoning.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
Other Word Forms of Subtle
Adjective
Base Form:
subtle
Superlative:
subtlestOrigin of Subtle
-
From Middle English sotil, subtil, from Old French soutil, later subtil, French subtil, from Latin subtilis (“fine, thin, slender, delicate"); probably, originally, “woven fine", and from sub (“under") + tela (“a web"), from texere (“to weave").
From Wiktionary
-
Middle English sotil from Old French from Latin subtīlis teks- in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
Related Articles
Subtle Is Also Mentioned In
Find Similar Words
Find similar words to subtle using the buttons below.