What is the meaning of subtle?

adjective

  • Difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze.
    • usage: "his whole attitude had undergone a subtle change"; "a subtle difference"; "that elusive thing the soul"
  • Able to make fine distinctions.
    • usage: "a subtle mind"
  • Working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way.
    • usage: "glaucoma is an insidious disease"; "a subtle poison"
WordNet 3.0 © 2006 by Princeton University
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APAWordNet. (2010). subtle. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/subtle/definitions/1184676
ChicagoWordNet. 2010. "subtle" http://smartdefine.org/subtle/definitions/1184676 (accessed September 20, 2026).
HarvardWordNet 2010, subtle, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/subtle/definitions/1184676>.
MLAWordNet. "subtle" 23 October 2010. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/subtle/definitions/1184676>
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