There are subtle differences between the two things.
Source: tatoeba (44640)
Subtle
//ˈsʌtl̩//
Synonyms for "subtle" (356 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (72)
craftyinsidiousabstruseaccurateacuteadroitadulteratedair builtair-builtairyanalyticanalyticalappreciativearcanearchartfulastuteattentiveattenuateattenuated
Show 43 more words
balled upboyishbyzantinecageycalculatingcannycasuisticchimericalcivilizedcleverclosecloud-builtcomplexcomplicatedconcealedconfoundedconfusedconscientiousconstantconvolutedcorrectcrabbedcreamycriticalcultivatedculturedcunningcutcutedaedaldaintydeceitfuldeceptivedeepdeep-laiddelicatedemandingdesigningdetaileddeviousdexterousdiaphanousdifferential
Strong matches (106)
dilutediluteddiplomaticdirectdiscriminatediscriminatingdiscriminativedistinctivedistinguishingdreamlikeeggshellelaborateelegantelusiveembrangledentangledetherealevenexactexacting
Show 68 more words
exigentexpressexquisitefaintfaithfulfancifulfastidiousfatuitousfatuousfelinefinefine drawnfine grainedfine-drawnfinespunfinicalfinickingfinickyflatflimsyfouled upfoxyfrailfussygaseousgauzygirlishglossgossamergossamerygracefulgracilegraciousguilefulhairlinehairsplittinghiddenillusoryimaginaryimpalpableimperceptibleimplicatedimponderableinerrableinerrantinfallibleingeniousinsubstantialintricateinventiveinvolutedinvolvediridescentknottedknowinglabyrinthianlabyrinthinelacylegalisticlightloftyloused upmachiavellianmachiavellicmany-facetedmathematicalmattedmazy
Adjective(16 words)
Related words (178)
meanderingmellowmessed upmeticulousmicrometrically precisemicroscopicminutemistymixed upmother-of-pearlmucked upmultifariousnacreousnarrownebulousnicenonobviousobscureopalescentpale
Show 132 more words
paperyparticularpastelpatinaedpawkypearlyperceptiveperniciousperplexedphantomlikepinpointpolishedpoliticpreciseprecisianisticprecisionisticprofoundpunctiliouspunctualquietramifiedrarerarefiedratiocinativereadyreconditerefinedreligiousreligiously exactremoteresourcefulrigidrigorousroundaboutsadschemingscientificscientifically exactscrewed upscrupulousscrutinizingselectivesemiglosssensitiveserpentinesevereshadowysharpshiftyshrewdsimpleskillfulslenderslenderishslickslightslight-madeslimslimmishslimyslinkyslipperyslysmallsmarmysmartsmoothsnakysnarledsneakysobersoftsoft-coloredsoft-huedsoftenedsombersophisticalsophisticatedspirituoussquarestealthystrategicstrictsubduedsubtilesupplesveltesweetsylphliketactfultacticaltangledtanglytendertenuousthinthin-bodiedthin-setthin-spunthinnedthinned-outthinnishthreadliketrickishtricksytrickytwisteduncompactuncompressedunderhandedunderstatedundeviatingunerringunrealunsubstantialvaguevaporousveiledvulpinewarywasp waistedwasp-waistedwateredwatered downwatered-downwateryweakwillowywilywindywiredrawnwispy
Adjective(25 words)
Adjective(1 words)
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
1 entriesAntonyms
1 entriesSynonyms
3 entriesderived
24 entriesShowing 16 of 24 words.
related to
13 entriessimilar
5 entriesTranslations
65 translations across 25 languages.
Bulgarian
4 entries- недоловим adj (of an action or movement: very delicate or slight, and thus barely noticeable — see also inconspicuous, unintrusive)
- незабележим adj (of an action or movement: very delicate or slight, and thus barely noticeable — see also inconspicuous, unintrusive)
- неосезаем adj (of an action or movement: very delicate or slight, and thus barely noticeable — see also inconspicuous, unintrusive)
- неуловим adj (of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious)
Catalan
2 entries- subtil adj (of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious)
- subtil adj (of a person or animal, or of an action or words: clever or skilful in a crafty or devious way (cognates) — see also cunning, sly, wily)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 微妙 adj (of an action or movement: very delicate or slight, and thus barely noticeable — see also inconspicuous, unintrusive)
Czech
4 entries- jemný adj (of an action or movement: very delicate or slight, and thus barely noticeable — see also inconspicuous, unintrusive)
- lehounký adj (of an action or movement: very delicate or slight, and thus barely noticeable — see also inconspicuous, unintrusive)
- nepatrný adj (of an action or movement: very delicate or slight, and thus barely noticeable — see also inconspicuous, unintrusive)
- sotva patrný adj (of an action or movement: very delicate or slight, and thus barely noticeable — see also inconspicuous, unintrusive)
Danish
3 entries- hårfin adj (of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious)
- subtil adj (of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious)
- subtil adj (of a person or animal, or of an action or words: clever or skilful in a crafty or devious way (cognates) — see also cunning, sly, wily)
Dutch
1 entries- subtiel adj (of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious)
Esperanto
1 entries- subtila adj (of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious)
Finnish
4 entries- hieno adj (of a substance: finely powdered)
- hienoinen adj (of an action or movement: very delicate or slight, and thus barely noticeable — see also inconspicuous, unintrusive)
- hienoinen adj (of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious)
- hienojakoinen adj (of a substance: finely powdered)
French
2 entries- délicat adj (of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious)
- subtil adj (of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious)
Galician
2 entries- sutil adj (of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious)
- sutil adj (of a person or animal, or of an action or words: clever or skilful in a crafty or devious way (cognates) — see also cunning, sly, wily)
German
4 entries- dezent adj (of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious)
- fast unmerklich adj (of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious)
- feinsinnig adj (of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious)
- haarfein adj (of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious)
Hebrew
4 entries- דק adj (of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious)
- חמקמק adj (of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious)
- טמיר adj (of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious)
- מעודן adj (of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious)
Irish
1 entries- caolchúiseach adj (of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious)
Italian
3 entries- inafferrabile adj (of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious)
- sottile adj (of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious)
- sottile adj (of a person or animal, or of an action or words: clever or skilful in a crafty or devious way (cognates) — see also cunning, sly, wily)
Japanese
1 entries- 捕らえ難い adj (of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious)
Latin
1 entries- subtīlis adj (of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious)
Māori
1 entries- topeha adj (of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious)
Old English
1 entries- smēag adj (of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious)
Piedmontese
1 entries- sutil adj (of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious)
Polish
2 entries- subtelny adj (of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious)
- subtelny adj (of a person or animal, or of an action or words: clever or skilful in a crafty or devious way (cognates) — see also cunning, sly, wily)
Portuguese
2 entries- subtil adj (of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious)
- sutil adj (of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious)
Russian
3 entries- едва различимый adj (of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious)
- неуловимый adj (of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious)
- то́нкий adj (of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious)
Spanish
2 entries- sutil adj (of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious)
- sutil adj (of a person or animal, or of an action or words: clever or skilful in a crafty or devious way (cognates) — see also cunning, sly, wily)
Swedish
2 entries- subtil adj (of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious)
- subtil adj (of a person or animal, or of an action or words: clever or skilful in a crafty or devious way (cognates) — see also cunning, sly, wily)
Turkish
3 entries- güç algılanan adj (of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious)
- ince adj (of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious)
- zor algılanan adj (of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious)
Sample sentences
36 total sentences available.
There's a subtle difference in meaning between the two words.
Source: tatoeba (44644)
This word has a subtle nuance to it.
Source: tatoeba (48181)
There is a subtle difference between the two words.
Source: tatoeba (50727)
Showing 4 of 36 available sentences.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.