subtle

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• Received-Pronunciation: sŭt'l
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• Received-Pronunciation: /ˈsʌtl̩/
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• General-American: /ˈsʌtəl/
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• General-American: [ˈsʌɾɫ̩]
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• General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• rhymes with -ʌtəl
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• CMU ARPABET: S AH1 T AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
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The adjective is derived from Middle English sotil, soubtil, subtil (“of a person, the mind, etc.: clever, ingenious, penetrating; cunning, sly; insidious; delicate, fine; not dense, light, thin; finely powdered; narrow, slender; etc.”), borrowed from Anglo-Norman sotel, subtil, sutil, Middle French soutil, subtil, sutil, and Old French sotil, soutil, subtil, sutil (“of an object: skilfully designed or made; delicate, fine; slender, thin; of an intangible thing: difficult to understand; of a person: discerning, shrewd; devious, sly; etc.”) (modern French subtil), from Latin subtīlis (“of texture: delicate, fine; slender, thin; accurate, keen; having fine judgment; etc.”), from sub (“below, under”) + tēla (“warp (threads running lengthwise in a loom); web”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *tetḱ- (“to create, produce; to cut, hew”), from *teḱ- (“to beget, sire”)). The word displaced Old English smēag (literally “creeping”). The modern and Middle English (and French) spellings with -b- are influenced by Latin subtīlis; the letter was probably never pronounced. The noun is derived from Middle English sotil, soubtil, subtil (“wise person; sophisticated people collectively”), from the adjective.

Partly from both of the following: * From Middle English sotilen, subtile, subtilien (“to reflect on (something); to become mentally keen; to connive, scheme; to contrive, invent; to become pure or thin; to (cause something to) become light or thin; (medicine) to lighten or reduce (a diet)”), from Anglo-Norman sotiller, soutiller, sutiller, Middle French soutiller, soutillier, and Old French soutillier (“to make thin; to sharpen; to split hairs when arguing; to scheme, plot”), from Old French sotil, soutil, subtil, sutil (noun) (see etymology 1) + -ier (suffix forming infinitives of first-conjugation verbs), partly influenced by Late Latin subtīliāre, the present active infinitive of subtīliō (“to act craftily; to diminish”), from Latin subtīlis (adjective) (see etymology 1) + -ō (suffix forming regular first-conjugation verbs). * From subtle (adjective).

65 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Bulgarian: недоловим (nedolovim) — of an action or movement: very delicate or slight, and thus barely noticeable — see also inconspicuous, unintrusive
• Bulgarian: неосезаем (neosezaem) — of an action or movement: very delicate or slight, and thus barely noticeable — see also inconspicuous, unintrusive
• Bulgarian: незабележим (nezabeležim) — of an action or movement: very delicate or slight, and thus barely noticeable — see also inconspicuous, unintrusive
• Chinese Mandarin: 微妙 (wēimiào) — of an action or movement: very delicate or slight, and thus barely noticeable — see also inconspicuous, unintrusive
• Czech: jemný — of an action or movement: very delicate or slight, and thus barely noticeable — see also inconspicuous, unintrusive
• Czech: lehounký — of an action or movement: very delicate or slight, and thus barely noticeable — see also inconspicuous, unintrusive
• Czech: nepatrný — of an action or movement: very delicate or slight, and thus barely noticeable — see also inconspicuous, unintrusive
• Czech: sotva patrný — of an action or movement: very delicate or slight, and thus barely noticeable — see also inconspicuous, unintrusive
• Finnish: hienovarainen — of an action or movement: very delicate or slight, and thus barely noticeable — see also inconspicuous, unintrusive
• Finnish: hienoinen — of an action or movement: very delicate or slight, and thus barely noticeable — see also inconspicuous, unintrusive
• Finnish: hieno — of a substance: finely powdered
• Finnish: hienojakoinen — of a substance: finely powdered
• Bulgarian: неуловим (neulovim) — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• Bulgarian: тънък (tǎnǎk) — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• Catalan: subtil — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• Danish: subtil — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• Danish: hårfin — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• Dutch: subtiel — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• Esperanto: subtila — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• Finnish: hienoinen — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• Finnish: hienovarainen — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• French: subtil — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• French: délicat — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• Galician: sutil — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• German: subtil — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• German: dezent — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• German: fast unmerklich — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• German: feinsinnig — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• German: haarfein — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• Hebrew: דק — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• Hebrew: עדין — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• Hebrew: מעודן — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• Hebrew: חמקמק — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• Hebrew: מרומז — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• Hebrew: עמום — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• Hebrew: טמיר — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• Hebrew: עלום — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• Irish: caolchúiseach — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• Italian: sottile — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• Italian: inafferrabile — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• Japanese: 捕らえ難い (toraegatai) — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• Latin: subtīlis — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• Māori: topeha — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• Old English: smēag — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• Piedmontese: sutil — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• Polish: subtelny — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• Portuguese: subtil — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• Portuguese: sutil — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• Russian: неуловимый (neulovimyj) — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• Russian: едва различимый — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• Russian: то́нкий (tónkij) — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• Spanish: sutil — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• Swedish: subtil — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• Turkish: güç algılanan — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• Turkish: zor algılanan — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• Turkish: ince — of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious
• Catalan: subtil — of a person or animal, or of an action or words: clever or skilful in a crafty or devious way (cognates) — see also cunning, sly, wily
• Danish: subtil — of a person or animal, or of an action or words: clever or skilful in a crafty or devious way (cognates) — see also cunning, sly, wily
• Galician: sutil — of a person or animal, or of an action or words: clever or skilful in a crafty or devious way (cognates) — see also cunning, sly, wily
• Italian: sottile — of a person or animal, or of an action or words: clever or skilful in a crafty or devious way (cognates) — see also cunning, sly, wily
• Polish: subtelny — of a person or animal, or of an action or words: clever or skilful in a crafty or devious way (cognates) — see also cunning, sly, wily
• Spanish: sutil — of a person or animal, or of an action or words: clever or skilful in a crafty or devious way (cognates) — see also cunning, sly, wily
• Swedish: subtil — of a person or animal, or of an action or words: clever or skilful in a crafty or devious way (cognates) — see also cunning, sly, wily
• Finnish: hienovaraiset — people or things that are subtle as a class
• Finnish: hienovaraistaa — to make (something) subtle