subtle
subtle is defined in Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1913) with 3 senses, and appears in Roget's Thesaurus (1911) with 40 related terms. The full text of each entry is reproduced verbatim below.
Definitions
- 1.Cunningly devised; crafty; treacherous; as, a subtle stratagem.
- 2.Characterized by refinement and niceness in drawing distinctions; nicely discriminating; -- said of persons; as, a subtle logician; refined; tenuous; sinuous; insinuating; hence, penetrative or pervasive; -- said of the mind; its faculties, or its operations; as, a subtle intellect; a subtle imagination; a subtle process of thought; also, difficult of apprehension; elusive. Things remote from use, obscure and subtle. Milton.
- 3.Smooth and deceptive. [Obs.] Like to a bowl upon a subtle ground [bowling ground]. Shak. Subtle is the most comprehensive of these epithets and implies the finest intellectual quality. See Shrewd, and Cunning.
Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
Synonyms
Synonyms (Webster's 1913)
Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
Related terms (Roget's 1911)
- ablude
- all
- alteration
- and
- another
- apart
- apple
- change
- characteristic
- color
- contradistinction
- contrast
- daedal
- delicate
- differ
- difference
- different
- differentia
- differently
- disagreement
- discriminate
- discrimination
- discriminative
- disparity
- dissimilar
- dissimilarity
- distinction
- distinctive
- distinguishable
- distinguishing
- divaricate
- divers
- diverse
- diversified
- diversity
- else
- fine
- heterogeneous
- horse
- incommensurable
Source: Roget's Thesaurus, 1911 edition (public domain, via Project Gutenberg eBook #10681).
Related questions
Reverse-dictionary questions
Definition-first questions whose answer is subtle.
Sources
- Definitions: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
- Synonyms: Roget's Thesaurus, 1911 edition (public domain, via Project Gutenberg eBook #10681).
- Canonical URL: https://worddirectanswers.com/word/subtle
- Steward: Jason Burns