nuance
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A very small difference in meaning or feeling.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
nooahnsSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈnuɑns
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
Subtlety or fine detail.
countable
A minor distinction.
verb
transitive
To apply a nuance to; to change or redefine in a subtle way.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C2 · Proficient
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Typical Use
- Primarily written
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More ways to use nuance
- “Without understanding the finer nuances you can't enjoy the humor.”noun
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More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Word Forms
Nuance · Nuanced · Nuances
Where This Word Comes From
From French 'nuance' (shade of colour), from 'nuer' (to shade), ultimately from Latin 'nubes' (cloud).
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.