subtlety
noun
Simple meaning
A small detail or difference that is hard to notice.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
suhtuhlteeSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈsʌtəlti
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
The quality of being difficult to detect or analyze
“You had to admire the subtlety of the distinctions he drew.”
The quality of being scarcely noticeable or difficult to discern. (of things)
The quality of being done in a clever way that is not obvious or not direct; the quality of being carefully thought out. (of things)
A subtle difference in meaning or opinion or attitude
uncountable
The quality of being subtle.
countable
An instance of being subtle, a subtle thing, especially a subtle argument or distinction.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C2 · Proficient (estimated)
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Typical Use
- Primarily written
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: The quality of being difficult to detect or analyze
Used this way, subtlety is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“You had to admire the subtlety of the distinctions he drew.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Usage note
It most often appears in the pattern “subtlety of …”, which is worth copying when you use it.
Natural pattern: subtlety of …
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use subtlety
- “You had to admire the subtlety of the distinctions he drew.”noun
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Tap the highlighted word to open its own entry.
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Keep learning “subtlety” by choosing the kind of practice you need next.
- Practice sentence writingWrite sentences with vocabulary and get instant feedback.
- Practice in contextAnswer short vocabulary questions drawn from real situations.
- Review vocabularyTest your recall and strengthen words over time.
- Practice typingType vocabulary in short rounds that draw from words you've learned and saved.
Want to type words like this one without looking at the keyboard? Each typing round draws from words you've learned, saved or need to review. Follow the free Learn to Type lessons and type your own vocabulary with confidence.
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.