subtlety
English · Thesaurus
AI In plain words
Writing a short explanation…
Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
subtlety
- /ˈsʌt(ə)lti/ Canada, US, UK
- /ˈsɐt(ə)lti/ Australia, New Zealand
Where it comes from
From Middle English sotilte, from Old French sutilté, inherited from Latin subtīlitās, from subtīlis (“subtle”). Equivalent to subtle + -ty. Doublet of subtility.
noun subtleties · subtilty
- The quality of being scarcely noticeable or difficult to discern. (of things) the subtlety of the Mona Lisa’s smile
-
The quality of being done in a clever way that is not obvious or not direct; the quality of being carefully thought out. (of things)
the subtlety of a writer’s analysis / of a singer’s phrasing
Similar: refinement
-
The quality of being able to achieve one's aims through clever, delicate or indirect methods. (of people)
With all his usual subtlety, he quietly fixed the problem before anyone else noticed it.
Similar: discretion, finesse, savoir-faire
-
The quality of being able to notice or understand things that are not obvious. (of people)
To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
Similar: acumen, perceptiveness, perspicacity
- An instance of being subtle, a subtle thing, especially a subtle argument or distinction. The subtleties of this overture are often overlooked.
- An ornate medieval illusion dish or table decoration, especially when made from one thing but crafted to look like another. At the king's coronation feast, several subtleties were served between main courses.
-
The quality of being clever in surreptitious or deceitful behaviour; an act or argument that shows this quality.
When eyther Hare or Deare, or any other chase vseth subtleties to deceyue the houndes, we saye they crosse or double.
Similar: artifice, craftiness, cunning, deceitfulness, slyness, trickery
- A trick that creates a false appearance. You doe yet taste / Some subtleties o’ th’ Isle, that will not let you / Beleeue things certaine:
- The property of having a low density or thin consistency. 1630, Thomas Johnson (translator/editor), A Treatise of the Plague […] Collected out of the workes of […] Ambrose Parey, London, Chapter 11, p. 33, Therefore at Paris where naturally, and also through the aboundance of filth that is about the Citie, the Aire is darke and grosse, the pestilent Infect
-
The property of being able to penetrate materials easily.
Hence we see the amazing Subtlety of this Fire, which pervades Glass as readily as if nothing were in the Way.
Similar: penetrancy, piercingness
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: nuance, nicety, niceness, shade, refinement, finesse, delicacy, fineness, acumen, sophistication, sharpness, intricacy, slyness, astuteness, discernment, understatement
Translations
Every language
noun quality or act of being subtle
| Español | sutileza, sutilidad |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 微妙 bimyō |
| 中文 | 微妙 wēimiào |
| Português | sutileza, subtileza |
| Français | subtilité |
| Deutsch | Geschicklichkeit, Feinheit, Feinsinn, Feinsinnigkeit, Raffinesse, Raffiniertheit |
| Italiano | sottigliezza |
| Ελληνικά | λεπτότητα leptótita |
| Русский | то́нкость tónkostʹ |
noun an instance of being subtle
| Español | sutileza |
|---|---|
| Português | sutileza, subtileza |
| Français | subtilité |
| Русский | утончённость utončónnostʹ |
noun illusion food
| Français | entremets |
|---|
Talk about this word "subtlety." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/subtlety. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. subtlety. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/subtlety "subtlety." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/subtlety.Cite this
@misc{subtlety_2026,
title = {subtlety},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/subtlety},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
