English-Thai Dictionary

subtle

ADJ ซึ่ง บอกเป็นนัยๆ  ซึ่ง บอก ไม่ หมด  ซึ่ง เข้าใจ ลำบาก  implied understated sueng-bok-pen-nai-nai

 

subtle

ADJ บาง  เบาบาง  บอบบาง  faint slight bang

 

subtle

ADJ มี เล่ห์เหลี่ยม  เจ้าเล่ห์  cunning ingenious shrewd me-lea-liam

 

subtle

ADJ เฉียบแหลม  ฉลาด  หลักแหลม  clever intelligent chiab-leam

 

subtlety

N ความบอบบาง  elegance exquisiteness kwam-bob-bang

 

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SUBTLE

a.[See Subtil. ] Sly in design; artful; cunning; insinuating; applied to persons; as a subtle foe. 1. Cunningly devised; as a subtle stratagem.

 

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

SUBTLE

Sub "tle, a. [Compar. Subtler; superl. Subtlest.] Etym: [OE. sotil,subtil, OF. soutil, later subtil, F. subtil, L. subtilis; probably, originally, woven fine, and fr. sub under + tela a web, fr. texere to weave. See Text, and cf. Subtile. ]

 

1. Sly in design; artful; cunning; insinuating; subtile; -- applied to persons; as, a subtle foe. "A subtle traitor. " Shak.

 

2. Cunningly devised; crafty; treacherous; as, a subtle stratagem.

 

3. 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.

 

4. Smooth and deceptive. [Obs. ] Like to a bowl upon a subtle ground [bowling ground ]. Shak.

 

Syn. -- Artful; crafty; cunning; shrewd; sly; wily. Subtle is the most comprehensive of these epithets and implies the finest intellectual quality. See Shrewd, and Cunning.

 

SUBTLENESS

SUBTLENESS Sub "tle *ness, n.

 

Defn: The quality or state of being subtle; subtlety.

 

SUBTLETY

Sub "tle *ty, n.; pl. Subtleties. Etym: [OE. sotelte, sutilte, OF. sotillete, L. subtilitas. See Subtle, and cf. Subtility. ]

 

1. The quality or state of being subtle, or sly; cunning; craftiness; artfulness. The fox which lives by subtlety. Shak.

 

2. Nice discernment with delicacy of mental action; nicety of discrimination.

 

3. Something that is sly, crafty, or delusive. Unlearned in the world's false subtleties. Shak.

 

New American Oxford Dictionary

subtle

sub tle |ˈsətl ˈsədl | ▶adjective ( subtler, subtlest ) (esp. of a change or distinction ) so delicate or precise as to be difficult to analyze or describe: his language expresses rich and subtle meanings. • (of a mixture or effect ) delicately complex and understated: subtle lighting. • making use of clever and indirect methods to achieve something: he tried a more subtle approach. • capable of making fine distinctions: a subtle mind. • arranged in an ingenious and elaborate way. • archaic crafty; cunning. DERIVATIVES sub tle ness noun, sub tly adverb ORIGIN Middle English (also in the sense ‘not easily understood ’): from Old French sotil, from Latin subtilis ‘fine, delicate. ’

 

subtlety

sub tle ty |ˈsətltē ˈsədlti | ▶noun ( pl. subtleties ) the quality or state of being subtle: the textural subtlety of Degas. • a subtle distinction, feature, or argument: the subtleties of English grammar. ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French soutilte, from Latin subtilitas, from subtilis ‘fine, delicate ’ (see subtle ).

 

Oxford Dictionary

subtle

subtle |ˈsʌt (ə )l | ▶adjective ( subtler, subtlest ) 1 (especially of a change or distinction ) so delicate or precise as to be difficult to analyse or describe: his language expresses rich and subtle meanings. • (of a mixture or effect ) delicately complex and understated: subtle lighting. • capable of making fine distinctions: a subtle mind. • arranged in an ingenious and elaborate way. 2 making use of clever and indirect methods to achieve something: he tried a more subtle approach. 3 archaic crafty; cunning: the subtle fiend dissembled. DERIVATIVES subtleness noun, subtly adverb ORIGIN Middle English (also in the sense ‘not easily understood ’): from Old French sotil, from Latin subtilis.

 

subtlety

subtlety |ˈsʌt (ə )lti | ▶noun ( pl. subtleties ) [ mass noun ] the quality or state of being subtle: the textural subtlety of Degas. • [ count noun ] a subtle distinction, feature, or argument: the subtleties of English grammar. ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French soutilte, from Latin subtilitas, from subtilis ‘fine, delicate ’ (see subtle ).

 

American Oxford Thesaurus

subtle

subtle adjective 1 subtle colors: understated, muted, subdued; delicate, faint, pale, soft, indistinct. 2 subtle distinctions: fine, fine-drawn, nice, hair-splitting. 3 a subtle mind: astute, keen, quick, fine, acute, sharp, shrewd, perceptive, discerning, discriminating, penetrating, sagacious, wise, clever, intelligent. 4 a subtle plan: ingenious, clever, cunning, crafty, wily, artful, devious.

 

subtlety

subtlety noun 1 the subtlety of the flavor: delicacy, delicateness, subtleness; understatedness, mutedness, softness. 2 classification is fraught with subtlety: fineness, subtleness, niceness, nicety, nuance. 3 the subtlety of the human mind: astuteness, keenness, acuteness, sharpness, canniness, shrewdness, perceptiveness, discernment, discrimination, percipience, perspicacity, wisdom, cleverness, intelligence. 4 the subtlety of their tactics: ingenuity, cleverness, skillfulness, adroitness, cunning, guile, craftiness, wiliness, artfulness, deviousness.

 

Oxford Thesaurus

subtle

subtle adjective 1 the colours are soft and subtle | the dish had a very subtle flavour: understated, low-key, muted, toned down, subdued; delicate, faint, pale, soft, indistinct, indefinite, vague, washed out. ANTONYMS lurid; obvious. 2 subtle distinctions are of little value: fine, fine-drawn, ultra-fine, nice, overnice, minute, precise, narrow, tenuous; hair-splitting, indistinct, indefinite, elusive, abstruse; informal minuscule. ANTONYMS crude. 3 a robust and subtle mind: astute, keen, quick, fine, acute, sharp, razor-like, razor-sharp, rapier-like, canny, shrewd, aware, perceptive, discerning, sensitive, discriminating, penetrating, sagacious, wise, clever, intelligent, skilful, artful; sapient, percipient, perspicacious; informal on the ball, savvy; archaic politic. ANTONYMS slow-witted. 4 the plan was simple yet subtle: ingenious, clever, skilful, adroit, cunning, crafty, wily, artful, devious. ANTONYMS crude, artless.

 

subtlety

subtlety noun 1 they prefer the cheese for its subtlety and depth of flavour: delicacy, delicateness, subtleness, elusiveness, faintness; understatedness, understatement, mutedness, softness. 2 classification is fraught with subtlety: fineness, subtleness, precision, preciseness, niceness, nicety, nuance, shade, detail, slightness, minuteness, narrowness, tenuousness, indistinctness, indefiniteness, lack of definition, elusiveness. 3 the subtlety of the human mind: astuteness, keenness, acuteness, fineness, sharpness, razor-sharpness, sharp-wittedness, canniness, shrewdness, perceptiveness, perception, discernment, sensitivity, discrimination, penetration, percipience, perspicacity, perspicuity, acuity, sagacity, wisdom, cleverness, intelligence, skilfulness, skill, artfulness, dexterity, brightness, finesse; informal savvy; rare sapience. ANTONYMS slow-wittedness, dullness. 4 the employers' tactics varied in their subtlety: ingenuity, cleverness, skilfulness, expertise, adroitness, complexity, intricacy, cunning, guile, craftiness, wiliness, artfulness, deviousness. ANTONYMS crudeness.

 

Sanseido Wisdom Dictionary

subtle

sub tle /sʌ́t (ə )l / (! 語中sub -のbは発音しない ) 〖語源は 「細かく織られた 」〗形容詞 more ～; most ～/～r ; ～st 1 〈違い 変化などが 〉微妙な , 目立たない , わずかな ; 〈香り 色などが 〉かすかな , 淡い , ほのかな ; 希薄な ▸ the subtle differences [distinctions ] between men and women 男女の微妙な違い ▸ detect fairly subtle but significant changes かなり微妙だが重要な変化を見つけだす 2 〈味 香り 色合いなどが 〉複雑で良い , いわく言い難い , 微妙な ; 手の込んだ , 精妙な .3 〈人が 〉 (本心を隠して )目立たない , 理解しがたい ; 〈問題などが 〉複雑でわかりにくい , とらえがたい ; 〈ふるまい やり方などが 〉 (間接的で )巧妙な , 上手い , 洗練された ; 〈毒などが 〉知らぬ間に効く .4 〈計画 戦略などが 〉人を欺く , 狡猾 （こうかつ ）な , ずる賢い .5 〈人 感性が 〉鋭敏な , 敏感な ▸ a subtle and sensitive writer 鋭敏で繊細な作家 ～ness 名詞

 

subtlety

sub tle ty /sʌ́t (ə )lti /名詞 複 -ties 1 U 捕らえどころのないこと, 微妙 (さ ), 神秘 ; 複雑 (な良さ ), 精巧, 緻密 （ちみつ ）.2 C 〖通例 -ties 〗(隠れた重要な )細部, 微細 (な区分 ), 機微 .3 U 〈人の 〉鋭敏 [繊細 ](さ ), (鋭い )感受性 [洞察力 ]; 巧妙 [狡猾 （こうかつ ）](さ ).