Subtlety Meaning
/ˈsʌt(ə)lti/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounThe quality of being subtle.
nounThe quality of being subtle., The quality of being scarcely noticeable or difficult to discern. (of things)
Sentence Examples
Subtlety never was your strong suit.
Subtlety has never been your strong suit.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The movie's humor relied on ____ that only careful viewers would notice.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ of the performance was appreciated by the critics, who praised the actor's quiet expressions.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English sotilte, from Old French sutilté, inherited from Latin subtīlitās, from subtīlis (“subtle”). Equivalent to subtle + -ty. Doublet of subtility.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"[H]e had a lifetime of skill in interpreting his father's gestures: those bent knees meant that something of great subtlety was about to be revealed."
— 1964 September 21, Saul Bellow, Herzog, New York, N.Y.: The Viking Press, →OCLC, pages 248–249:
"Something kinda sad about / The way that things have come to be / Desensitized to everything / What became of subtlety? / How can this mean anything to me / If I really don't feel anything at all?"
— 1996, “Stinkfist”, performed by Tool:
"European women often boss their men too, but with a beguiling subtlety unknown to most American females."
— 1979, William Styron, chapter 3, in Sophie’s Choice, New York: Random House, page 74:
"To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion."
— 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Proverbs 1:4:
"his subtilty in thinking and reasoning were profound,"
— 1770, Oliver Goldsmith, The Life of Henry St. John, Lord Viscount Bolingbroke, London: T. Davies, page 7:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The movie's humor relied on ____ that only careful viewers would notice.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ of the performance was appreciated by the critics, who praised the actor's quiet expressions.