Translation is always a treason, and as a Ming author observes, can at its best be only the reverse side of a brocade,—all the threads are there, but not the subtlety of colour or design.
Source: tatoeba (638881)
Subtlety
/ˈsʌt(ə)lti/
Synonyms for "subtlety" (262 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (53)
Noun(4 words)
absolutenessaccuracyacquired tasteacutenessairinessairy nothinganimal cunningapparent soundnessappreciationappreciation of differencesappreciation of excellenceappreciativenessartartfulnessartificeartistic judgmentastutenessattention to detailattention to factbodilessness
Show 29 more words
cageynesscalliditycanninesscare for truthcasuistrychoicenesscircularitycircumstantialitycivilized tastecivilizednessclevernesscomplexitycomplexnesscomplicationconnoisseurshipconscientiousnessconvolutioncorrectnesscrabbednesscraftcraftinesscritical nicenesscriticalitycriticalnesscultivated tastecultivationculturecunningcunningness
Strong matches (78)
daintinessdeceptivenessdelicacydelicate distinctiondetaildeviousnessdifferentiadifferentialdiscriminating tastediscriminatingnessdiscriminationdiscriminativenessdisingenuousnessdistinctiondistortioneleganceentanglementequivocalnessequivocationethereality
Show 51 more words
evasive reasoningexactingnessexactitudeexactnessexcellenceexquisitenessfaithfulnessfallaciousnessfallacyfastidiousnessfaultlessnessfeelfeelingfidelityfine italian handfine palatefine pointfinenessfinessefinicalityfinicalnessfinickinessfinickingnessflawlessnessflimsinessfoxinessfussinessgamesmanshipgood tastegracegracefulnessgracilitygraciositygraciousnessguileguilefulnesshairlineimmaterialityimpalpabilityimponderabilityincorporealityingeniousnessinsidiousnessinsincerityinsolidityinsubstantialityintangibilityintricacyintricatenessinventivenessinvolution
Related words (131)
involvementitalian handjesuitismjesuitryjudiciousnessliteralismliteralityliteralnesslow cunningmaking distinctionsmarginmathematical precisionmeticulousnessminutenessmisapplicationmistinessmystificationnarrow marginnice distinctionniceness
Show 104 more words
niceness of distinctionnicetynuanceobfuscationobscurantismone upmanshipone-upmanshipoversubtletypalateparticle of differenceparticularityparticularnesspawkinessperfectionperplexityperversionphilosophismplausibilityplausiblenesspoint of differencepolishprecisenessprecisianismprecisionprofunditypunctiliousnesspunctualityqualityquibbleramificationrarenessrarityrationalizationreadinessrefined discriminationrefined palaterefinementresourcefulnessrightrightnessrigidityrigidnessrigorrigorousnesssatanic cunningscrupulosityscrupulousnessselectivenesssensesensibilitysensitivityseverityshade of differencesharpnessshiftinessshrewdnessslicknessslightnessslipperinessslynesssneakinesssophismsophistical reasoningsophisticationsophistryspecial pleadingspeciosityspecious reasoningspeciousnessstealthstealthinessstrictnesssubtilitysubtiltysubtle distinctionsubtlenesssupplenesstacttactfulnesstanglementtastetastefulnesstechnicalitytenuitytenuousnesstextualismthe letterthinnesstreacherytrickinessunconcretenessunrealityunsolidityunsubstantialityunsubstantialnessvaguenessvicious circlevicious reasoningwarinesswide marginwilewileswilinesswit
Noun(6 words)
Adjective(1 words)
subtle makeup
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
12 entriesMore specific
6 entriesCollocations
5 entriesgreat subtletysubtlety in argumentsubtlety in wordingsubtlety of meaningsubtlety of tone
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
3 entriesTranslations
39 translations across 18 languages.
Asturian
1 entries- sutileza noun (quality or act of being subtle)
Catalan
1 entries- subtilesa noun (quality or act of being subtle)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 微妙 noun (quality or act of being subtle)
Czech
4 entries- decentnost noun (quality or act of being subtle)
- delikátnost noun (quality or act of being subtle)
- jemnost noun (quality or act of being subtle)
- prchavost noun (quality or act of being subtle)
Finnish
1 entries- hienovaraisuus noun (quality or act of being subtle)
French
1 entries- subtilité noun (quality or act of being subtle)
Galician
1 entries- sutileza noun (quality or act of being subtle)
German
4 entries- Feinheit noun (quality or act of being subtle)
- Feinsinn noun (quality or act of being subtle)
- Feinsinnigkeit noun (quality or act of being subtle)
- Geschicklichkeit noun (quality or act of being subtle)
Greek
1 entries- λεπτότητα noun (quality or act of being subtle)
Italian
1 entries- sottigliezza noun (quality or act of being subtle)
Japanese
1 entries- 微妙 noun (quality or act of being subtle)
Latin
2 entries- argūtiae noun (quality or act of being subtle)
- subtīlitās noun (quality or act of being subtle)
Polish
2 entries- delikatność noun (quality or act of being subtle)
- subtelność noun (quality or act of being subtle)
Portuguese
2 entries- subtileza noun (quality or act of being subtle)
- sutileza noun (quality or act of being subtle)
Russian
1 entries- то́нкость noun (quality or act of being subtle)
Spanish
3 entries- delicadeza noun (quality or act of being subtle)
- sutileza noun (quality or act of being subtle)
- sutilidad noun (quality or act of being subtle)
Swedish
1 entries- subtilitet noun (quality or act of being subtle)
Turkish
4 entries- anlaşılmazlık noun (quality or act of being subtle)
- incelik noun (quality or act of being subtle)
- kurnazlık noun (quality or act of being subtle)
- ustalık noun (quality or act of being subtle)
Sample sentences
36 total sentences available.
Even those who have renounced Christianity and attack it, in their inmost being still follow the Christian ideal, for hitherto neither their subtlety nor the ardor of their hearts has been able to create a higher ideal of man and of virtue than the ideal given by Christ.
Source: tatoeba (918780)
The subtlety of this modern empire building puts the Roman centurions, the Spanish conquistadors, and the (...) European colonial powers to shame. Today we do not carry swords. We do not wear armor or clothes that set us apart. (...) It is how the system works. We seldom resort to anything illegal because the system itself is built on subterfuge, and the system is by definition legitimate.
Source: tatoeba (3391032)
Subtlety never was your strong suit.
Source: tatoeba (3633502)
Showing 4 of 36 available sentences.