Nuance

//ˈnjuː.ɑːns// noun, verb

noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A minor distinction. countable

    "hidden nuances"

  2. 2
    a subtle difference in meaning or opinion or attitude wordnet
  3. 3
    Subtlety or fine detail. countable, uncountable

    "Understanding the basics is easy, but appreciating the nuances takes years."

Verb
  1. 1
    To apply a nuance to; to change or redefine in a subtle way. transitive

Synonyms

All synonyms
allegoryallusionamountarcane meaningassumptioncaliber

Example

More examples

"This word has a subtle nuance to it."

Etymology

Borrowed from French nuance (“nuance, shade, hue”). Several steps omitting from Latin nūbēs. Compare typologically Italian sfumatura (< Latin fūmus).

More for "nuance"

SynonymsSentencesPronunciationTranslate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciationBrowse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.