Antonyms for subtle
ˈsʌt lsub·tle

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:2.5 / 2 votes

1. subtleadjective

   Hard to grasp; not obvious or easily understood; barely noticeable.

   The difference is subtle, but you can hear it if you listen carefully.

   Antonyms:
   simple

2. subtleadjective

   Cunning, skillful.

   Synonyms:
   cunning, crafty, skillful

3. subtleadjective

   insidious

   Synonyms:
   insidious

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:2.0 / 3 votes

1. subtle

   Acute, from the Latin, suggests the sharpness of the needle's point; keen, from the Saxon, the sharpness of the cutting edge. Astute, from the Latin, with the original sense of cunning has come to have a meaning that combines the sense of acute or keen with that of sagacious. The astute mind adds to acuteness and keenness an element of cunning or finesse. The astute debater leads his opponents into a snare by getting them to make admissions, or urge arguments, of which he sees a result that they do not perceive. The acute, keen intellect may take no special advantage of these qualities; the astute mind has always a point to make for itself, and seldom fails to make it. A knowing look, air, etc., in general indicates practical knowledge with a touch of shrewdness, and perhaps of cunning; in regard to some special matter, it indicates the possession of reserved knowledge which the person could impart if he chose. Knowing has often a slightly invidious sense. We speak of a knowing rascal, meaning cunning or shrewd within a narrow range, but of a knowing horse or dog, in the sense of sagacious, implying that he knows more than could be expected of such an animal. A knowing child has more knowledge than would be looked for at his years, perhaps more than is quite desirable, while to speak of a child as intelligent is altogether complimentary.

   Antonyms:
   blind, dull, idiotic, imbecile, shallow, short-sighted, stolid, stupid, undiscerning, unintelligent

   Synonyms:
   acute, astute, clear-sighted, crafty, cunning, discerning, discriminating, keen, knowing, penetrating, penetrative, perspicacious, sagacious, sharp, shrewd, subtile

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:3.3 / 3 votes

1. subtle

   Antonyms:
   open, frank, honest, artless, undiscriminating, rough, blunt, undiscerning, unsophisticated, simple

   Synonyms:
   sly, artful, cunning, insinuating, wily, astute, nice, discriminating, crafty, fine, shrewd, sophistical, jesuitical

Princeton's WordNetRate these antonyms:1.0 / 1 vote

1. elusive, subtleadjective

   difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze

   "his whole attitude had undergone a subtle change"; "a subtle difference"; "that elusive thing the soul"

   Antonyms:
   tangible, unperceptive, harmless, palpable, unperceiving

   Synonyms:
   pernicious, baffling, problematic, knotty, tough, insidious, elusive, problematical

2. subtleadjective

   able to make fine distinctions

   "a subtle mind"

   Antonyms:
   tangible, harmless, palpable, unperceptive, unperceiving

   Synonyms:
   insidious, elusive, pernicious

3. insidious, pernicious, subtleadjective

   working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way

   "glaucoma is an insidious disease"; "a subtle poison"

   Antonyms:
   unperceiving, tangible, unperceptive, harmless, palpable

   Synonyms:
   pestilent, elusive, baneful, pernicious, insidious, deadly

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. subtleadjective

   Synonyms:
   artful, cunning, sly, designing, crafty, refined, discriminating

How to use subtle in a sentence?

1. Matt Elliott:

   Summer might be coming down a little bit, and winter might be coming up a little bit. So, they’re kind of competing with each other, so, the numbers overall might be similar, but there may be some subtle changes in the seasonality and locations that we’re certainly looking at very closely.

2. Mohsen Qamsari:

   We will be more subtle in our approach and may gradually increase output, i have to say that there is no room to push prices down any further, given the level where they are.

3. Mohsen Qamsari:

   We don't want to start a sort of a price war, we will be more subtle in our approach and may gradually increase output.

4. Hadas Ketter-Katz:

   We found out that each eye has a different role. We have the tracking eye that will continue tracking the target and the converging eye that will converge to the tracking eye and eventually she will choose that target. We found out that each eye has a different subtle pattern of eye movements according to her role. So even before the chameleon chose one of the targets, I could tell by the subtle patterns of the eye which one she is going to go for.

5. Demetrius Freeman:

   That's really what I love to do -- just capturing someone's character in one frame, i find it very character-revealing. It's very subtle. And l love that.

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