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subtle
in a sentence
grouped by contextual meaning

subtle as in:  a subtle poison

•
She is working subtly against us.
subtly = working in a way that is hard to see
Show 3 more with this contextual meaning
  • •
    It is a subtle poison. In small doses, it might never be detected, but eventually your heart will fail.
  • •
    Then a true swamp settled deep with its low-earth smell and fusty air. Sudden, subtle, and silent all at once, it stretched into the mouth of the dark receding forest.  (source)
  • •
    It's not the overt bullying that does it, either. It's the subtle manipulation of the situation. The bullying almost acts as cover for what's really going on.  (source)
    subtle = working in an indirect or hidden way
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Show 10 more with 4 word variations
  • •
    I can count on a few things: There aren't many Dauntless in the compound, the Dauntless aren't known for their subtlety, and I'll do anything to stop them.  (source)
    subtlety = working in an indirect or hidden way
  • •
    There wasn't any poison, nothing as subtle as that.  (source)
    subtle = working in a hidden way
  • •
    "I'd love to look around," Hana hints not-so-subtly.  (source)
    subtly = working in an indirect or hidden manner
  • •
    But behind that display of sleeping force were other and much subtler weapons.  (source)
    subtler = working in an indirect or hidden way
  • •
    With all the subtlety of a bulldozer I wrote my paper on the effect bipolar parents have on their children.  (source)
    subtlety = non-obvious manner
  • •
    And speaking of not-so-subtle, the heap of dollar bills that just fell out of my locker, along with a note, were a good indicator that I may not be very welcome.  (source)
    subtle = done in a manner that is indirect or hidden (not obvious)
  • •
    It was one thing to screw up a huge weapon. It was another thing to screw it up so subtly that no one noticed until it was too late.  (source)
    subtly = working in an indirect or hidden way
  • •
    But even if He defeats your first attempt at misdirection, we have a subtler weapon.  (source)
    subtler = more indirect or non-obvious thing or manner that harms
  • •
    But the Piazza did not aspire to elegance, service, or subtlety.†  (source)
    subtlety = something that is indirect or non-obvious -- often harmful or intentionally hidden
  • •
    What if this were all a subtle trap?  (source)
    subtle = working in an indirect or hidden way
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subtle as in:  a subtle shade of blue

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Her warning was subtle, but unmistakable.
subtle = understated (so as not to draw attention to itself)
Show 3 more with this contextual meaning
  • •
    She likes dramatic statements, but he prefers to be subtle.
    subtle = understated so as not to draw excess attention
  • •
    I began to walk my avatar down the hall, using a series of subtle hand motions to control its movements and actions.  (source)
    subtle = small, nuanced
  • •
    He gives me a subtle thumbs-up.  (source)
    subtle = understated so as not to draw attention to itself
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Show 10 more with 9 word variations
  • •
    It is not bad--at first, and very gentle, but quite the subtlest, most enduring odor I ever met.  (source)
    subtlest = most understated
  • •
    By then, Khala Jamila's initially subtle hints had become overt, as in "Kho dega!"  (source)
    subtle = mild (understated)
  • •
    Perhaps this was his unsubtle way of announcing my presence to Mrs. Meany, but that lady was unchanged by her husband's greeting; she remained in profile to both the window and to us.†  (source)
    unsubtle = not understated
    standard prefix: The prefix "un-" in unsubtle means not and reverses the meaning of subtle. This is the same pattern you see in words like unhappy, unknown, and unlucky.
  • •
    I try to subtly hide the cover with my hand.  (source)
    subtly = in a manner that does not draw attention
  • •
    He had a Sompnour ready to his hand, A slier boy was none in Engleland; For subtlely he had his espiaille,* *espionage That taught him well where it might aught avail.†  (source)
    unconventional spelling: This is much more commonly spelled, subtly.
  • •
    Madame de Cintre is a supersubtle Parisian.†  (source)
  • •
    He liked the seaweed wrapped around the sushi roll: how tough it was to chew, the subtleness of the ocean water.†  (source)
    standard suffix: The suffix "-ness" converts an adjective to a noun that means the quality of. This is the same pattern you see in words like darkness, kindness, and coolness.
  • •
    And we ourselves become somehow not ourselves, but we turn subtler, weirder, less attached to our bodies, less attached to our names.  (source)
    subtler = more understated (less obvious as individuals)
  • •
    Thanks to their complete lack of subtlety, the whole world now knew the Jade Key must be hidden somewhere in that sector.  (source)
    subtlety = understatement (so as not to draw attention)
  • •
    Sometimes you saw it in the subtlest of ways: the old neighbor who diligently tended her garden even as her neighbors let their homes rot from the inside out; the young woman who grew up with my mom, who returned to the neighborhood every day to help her mother navigate old age.†  (source)
    subtlest = most understated
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subtle as in:  a subtle difference or thinker

Show 3 more with this contextual meaning
  • •
    She has a good eye for subtle differences in color.
    subtle = not obvious, but identifiable by someone with adequate sensitivity
  • •
    Her whole attitude had undergone a subtle change.
    subtle = not obvious, but noticeable by someone with adequate sensitivity
  • •
    But those changes are subtle and hard to measure.  (source)
    subtle = difficult to notice
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Show 10 more with 6 word variations
  • •
    It's easy to tell on some, subtle on others.  (source)
    subtle = difficult to notice
  • •
    Somehow, they carried the authority of middle pretties without the firm jaw, the subtly lined eyes, or the elegant clothing.  (source)
    subtly = slightly noticeable
  • •
    ...hawk features, blue-ink eyes that suggested he was a native of Arrakis, but subtleties of movement and stance told her he was not.  (source)
    subtleties = things that are slightly noticeable
  • •
    The difference between Renesmee an hour ago and Renesmee now was subtler.  (source)
    subtler = less noticeable
  • •
    I'd go to Monet's and write a poem or two. My first few attempts were a bit sad. Not much depth or subtlety. Pretty straightforward.  (source)
    subtlety = things that are not stated directly, but can be understood by someone with adequate sensitivity and relevant knowledge
  • •
    It need hardly be said that the subtlest practitioners of doublethink are those who invented doublethink and know that it is a vast system of mental cheating.  (source)
    subtlest = with deepest understanding
  • •
    You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potionmaking,  (source)
    subtle = difficult to understand without adequate sensitivity and relevant knowledge
  • •
    And though his voice is the same, there's something subtly different about him.  (source)
    subtly = not obvious, but understandable by someone with adequate sensitivity and relevant knowledge
  • •
    "Mark their subtleties, Sire," said Poggin to the King.  (source)
    subtleties = things that are hard to notice
  • •
    The experience had subtler points that did not escape Rutledge.  (source)
    subtler = harder to notice or understand
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