Definition: 1. Be difficult to detect or grasp by the mind. 2. Faint and difficult to analyze. 3. Able to make fine distinctions. 4. Working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way.
Use 'subtle' in a sentence:
1. The subtle fragrance made him sleepy.
2. The organism is more awake, more vigilant; this increased vigilance results in the apprehension of ever more subtle signals as the organism becomes more sensitive to its surroundings.
3. The whole process would be accomplished in a subtle way to avoid giving an impression of over-familiarity that would be likely to produce irritation.
4. Their story, though not as spectacular to the eye, will surely turn out to be as subtle and as complex.
5. Much of eye behavior is so subtle that we react to it only on the intuitive level.
6. Intolerance can take subtler forms too.
7. There are subtle differences between the two versions.
8. But randomness often plays out in subtle ways, and it's easy to construct narratives that portray success as having been inevitable.
9. This is a subtle form of peer pressure: we unconsciously imitate the behavior we see every day.
10. Young haricot beans have a tender texture and a delicate, subtle flavour.
11. Some of the designs are subtle, some gloriously OTT.
12. We should have known that we are living in the subtle happiness surroundings every day.
13. Our brains often don't notice subtle verbal patterns, but Pennebaker's computers can.
14. He believes many 'psychics' are frauds who rely on perception and subtle deception.
15. I perceived a subtle change in his attitude.
16. His film, over two hours in length, is a subtle study of family life.
17. Herbs have been used for centuries to endow a whole range of foods with subtle flavours.
18. One's speech is subtle.
19. This fact helps explain the subtle hazard associated with this nonirritating gas.
20. Those subtle patterns on the silk look elegant.
21. Although from the same designer, there are subtle differences between the two styles.
22. 'That's much too subtle, even for Sam.' — 'Even for Sam!' He pounced on the phrase with a sound of triumph.
23. Thankfully, there is a way out of this trap but it involves striking a subtle balance.
24. Seeing and talking with one another in close physical proximity makes possible a subtle exchange of ideas and feelings.
25. He is a subtle character, you know.
26. A person's psychology is a subtle thing. How true it is that words are echoes of the heart.
27. Latest evidence of subtle interactions between earthquakes may subvert this assumption, however.
28. She makes her points by telling stories or by way of description, attractive images, and subtle characterization.
29. Their language is particularly difficult to learn because of its subtle shading of tone and emphasis.
30. The climatic changes in southwestern Asia were more subtle, in that they involved shifts in mountain snow lines, rainfall patterns, and vegetation cover.
31. Her methods of seduction are subtle.
32. He was a little slow this morning and paid no attention to her subtle hint.
33. This, however, would be a knee-jerk reaction to a subtle argument.
34. That's the subtle distinction we need to try very hard to keep in mind.
35. She's been dropping subtle hints about what she'd like as a present.
36. The public areas offer a subtle blend of traditional charm with modern amenities.
37. It is here that most students fall into a subtle and deadly trap.
38. In accordance with the stress-triggering hypothesis, faults are unpredictably responsive to subtle stresses they obtain as neighboring faults shift.
39. According to the stress-triggering hypothesis, faults are unexpectedly responsive to subtle stresses they acquire as neighboring faults shift.
40. Her paintings capture the subtle hues of the countryside in autumn.
41. She was praised for her ability to convey subtle adjustment of emotion.
42. I even began to exploit him in subtle ways.
43. Indeed, Johnson was in 1762 awarded a pension by the Crown—a subtle form of sponsorship, tantamount to state patronage.
44. The job required a subtle mind.
45. I decided to try a more subtle approach.
46. Often the advantages of convenient, mobile technology are both obvious and taken for granted, leaving more subtle topics for concerned discussion: are smartphones disturbing children's sleep?
47. The tactics employed can range from overt bullying to subtle emotional blackmail.
48. We can use our eyes and facial expressions to communicate virtually every subtle nuance of emotion there is.
49. But TV images require subtle gradations of light and shade.
