subtle
Other forms: subtler; subtlest; subtlely
Something that is subtle is not obvious: a professional food taster might be able to perceive subtle differences of flavor that most people don't notice.
Subtle is used for things that are hard to describe because of their complexity or delicacy: a way of thinking, arguing, or creating a work of art. The word is pronounced like "suttle" and it was originally spelled that way when it was borrowed from Old French, but the b got imported to make the word look more like its ultimate source, the Latin adjective subtilis. But don't pronounce the b — that won't be very subtle!
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difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze“his whole attitude had undergone a subtle change”“a subtle difference”synonyms: elusiveimpalpableimperceptible to the senses or the mind
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able to make fine distinctions“a subtle mind”synonyms:perceptivehaving the ability to perceive or understand; keen in discernment
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working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way
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Vocabulary lists containing subtle
Looking to build your vocabulary? Then practice this list of 100 "top words" — the kind that used to be tested on the SAT before 2016. If you're a high school student prepping for the SAT, check out Vocabulary.com's Roadmap to the SAT, which focuses on the vocabulary you'll need to ace today's SAT test.
Learn these words beginning with the power prefix "sub-" (meaning "below" or "under"). More Power Prefix lists: anti-, con-, fore-, inter-, mis-, pre-, super-, trans-, and uni-! ELA Common Core State Standard: "Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word."
The scourge of spellers, silent letters are often a stumbling block when learning how to write in English. To the modern eye, it's unclear what these letters are doing in the words in question, and learners sometimes simply have to memorize them. But the silent letters are very often hidden remnants of how the words passed through different languages on their way to English. Here are 20 words that prove that English spelling is far from rational