Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun The quality or state of being subtle.
- noun Something subtle, especially a nicety of thought or a fine distinction.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun Same as
subtilty , 1. - noun Acuteness of intellect; delicacy of discrimination or penetration; intellectual activity; subtility.
- noun Same as
subtilty , 2. - noun Slyness; artifice; cunning; craft; stratagem; craftiness; artfulness; wiliness.
- noun Also
subtilty . - noun That which is subtle or subtile. Also
subtilty . - noun That which is intellectually acute or nicely discriminating.
- noun That which is of false appearance; a deception; an illusion.
- noun Same as
subtilty , 6.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun The quality or state of being subtle, or sly; cunning; craftiness; artfulness.
- noun Nice discernment with delicacy of mental action; nicety of discrimination.
- noun Something that is sly, crafty, or delusive.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun uncountable The quality or fact of being
subtle . - noun countable An instance of being
subtle , asubtle thing, especially a subtleargument ordistinction . - noun countable An ornate medieval illusion dish or table decoration, especially when made from one thing but crafted to look like another.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun the quality of being difficult to detect or analyze
- noun a subtle difference in meaning or opinion or attitude
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Yes, "she pursued with greater energy," what you call subtlety of argument is but force of conviction.
The Canadian Brothers, or the Prophecy Fulfilled a Tale of the Late American War — Complete John Richardson 1824
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Yes, "she pursued with greater energy," what you call subtlety of argument is but force of conviction.
The Canadian Brothers, or the Prophecy Fulfilled a Tale of the Late American War — Volume 2 John Richardson 1824
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Your subtlety is lost even upon the bishops and priests who should know better, as I have seen them condemn all gays and gay rights initiatives as a moral evil that destroys the family.
The Volokh Conspiracy » Enough with the Ridiculous Hyperbole! 2010
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I guess that subtlety is wasted on you buggers but I do appreciate the backup nonetheless.
Cheeseburger Gothic » Open for business. The new renovated Ladies Lounge. 2009
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When facing an enemy who could rip you apart with his strength or his mind, subtlety is how you avoid ending up in the morgue!
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I initially found it strange as well, but I wonder if the lack of subtlety is deliberate.
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Just look at the poster; subtlety is lost on these morons.
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That we can buy student safety by repressing free discourse; that subtlety is impossible and will lead to irresponsibility, lawlessness, who knows what social ills.
Barnstorming on an Invisible Segway timprov 2008
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M. Night's idea of subtlety is to make the moral of this movie the only theory that's given any substantial screen time, and then repeat it ad nauseum, in such a ham-fisted, poorly scripted manner that during the movie, people (myself included) laughed out loud at 'serious' moments, and before it was halfway over, handfuls of people had walked out.
Sound Off: The Happening - What Did You Think? « FirstShowing.net 2008
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The Serpent not only refers to a legless creature that slithers around in subtlety it also meant “Beguiling, wise, and beautiful.”
Must Watch: Bill Maher's Religulous Trailer! « FirstShowing.net 2008
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