Word Meanings - SUBTLE - Book Publishers vocabulary database

subtil, OF. soutil, later subtil, F. subtil, L. subtilis; probably, originally, woven fine, and fr. sub under + tela a web, fr. texere to 1. Sly in design; artful; cunning; insinuating; subtile; -- applied to persons; as, a subtle foe. "A subtle

Additional info about word: SUBTLE

subtil, OF. soutil, later subtil, F. subtil, L. subtilis; probably, originally, woven fine, and fr. sub under + tela a web, fr. texere to 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. Like to a bowl upon a subtle 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.

Possible synonyms: (Same meaning words of SUBTLE)

• Artful
• Cunning
• designing
• maneuvering
• sharp
• knowing
• subtle
• sly
• crafty
• wily
• shrewd
• Fine
• Thin
• minute
• slender
• delicate
• pure
• smooth
• filmy
• gauzy
• keen
• artistic
• choice
• finished
• high
• Grand
• noble
• sensitive
• refined
• generous
• honorable
• excellent
• superior
• pretty
• beautiful
• showy
• elegant
• ostentatious
• presumptuous
• nice
• casuistical
• Sly
• artful
• underhanded
• astute
• stealthy

Related words: (words related to SUBTLE)

• SMOOTHEN
  To make smooth.
• KNOWINGLY
  1. With knowledge; in a knowing manner; intelligently; consciously; deliberately; as, he would not knowingly offend. Strype. 2. By experience. Shak.
• CHOICE
  1. Worthly of being chosen or preferred; select; superior; precious; valuable. My choicest hours of life are lost. Swift. 2. Preserving or using with care, as valuable; frugal; -- used with of; as, to be choice of time, or of money. 3. Selected
• BEAUTIFUL
  Having the qualities which constitute beauty; pleasing to the sight or the mind. A circle is more beautiful than a square; a square is more beautiful than a parallelogram. Lord Kames. Syn. -- Handsome; elegant; lovely; fair; charming; graceful;
• DESIGN
  drawing, dessein a plan or scheme; all, ultimately, from L. designare to designate; de- + signare to mark, mark out, signum mark, sign. See 1. To draw preliminary outline or main features of; to sketch for a pattern or model; to delineate; to trace
• GRANDEUR
  The state or quality of being grand; vastness; greatness; splendor; magnificence; stateliness; sublimity; dignity; elevation of thought or expression; nobility of action. Nor doth this grandeur and majestic show Of luxury . . . allure mine eye.
• SENSITIVE
  1. Having sense of feeling; possessing or exhibiting the capacity of receiving impressions from external objects; as, a sensitive soul. 2. Having quick and acute sensibility, either to the action of external objects, or to impressions upon the
• CRAFTY
  1. Relating to, or characterized by, craft or skill; dexterous. "Crafty work." Piers Plowman. 2. Possessing dexterity; skilled; skillful. A noble crafty man of trees. Wyclif. 3. Skillful at deceiving others; characterized by craft; cunning; wily.
• SHARPLY
  In a sharp manner,; keenly; acutely. They are more sharply to be chastised and reformed than the rude Irish. Spenser. The soldiers were sharply assailed with wants. Hayward. You contract your eye when you would see sharply. Bacon.
• SMOOTHNESS
  Quality or state of being smooth.
• HONORABLE
  1. Worthy of honor; fit to be esteemed or regarded; estimable; illustrious. Thy name and honorable family. Shak. 2. High-minded; actuated by principles of honor, or a scrupulous regard to probity, rectitude, or reputation. 3. Proceeding from an
• SHARPER
  A person who bargains closely, especially, one who cheats in bargains; a swinder; also, a cheating gamester. Sharpers, as pikes, prey upon their own kind. L'Estrange. Syn. -- Swindler; cheat; deceiver; trickster; rogue. See Swindler.
• GRANDEESHIP
  The rank or estate of a grandee; lordship. H. Swinburne.
• FINISHER
  1. One who finishes, puts an end to, completes, or perfects; esp. used in the trades, as in hatting, weaving, etc., for the workman who gives a finishing touch to the work, or any part of it, and brings it to perfection. O prophet of glad tidings,
• MANEUVER; MANOEUVRE
  1. To perform a movement or movements in military or naval tactics; to make changes in position with reference to getting advantage in attack or defense. 2. To manage with address or art; to scheme.
• GRANDMA; GRANDMAMMA
  A grand mother.
• SMOOTH
  1. The act of making smooth; a stroke which smooths. Thackeray. 2. That which is smooth; the smooth part of anything. "The smooth of his neck." Gen. xxvii. 16.
• CHOICELY
  1. With care in choosing; with nice regard to preference. "A band of men collected choicely, from each county some." Shak. 2. In a preferable or excellent manner; excellently; eminently. "Choicely good." Walton.
• ASTUTE
  Critically discerning; sagacious; shrewd; subtle; crafty. Syn. -- Keen; eagle-eyed; penetrating; skilled; discriminating; cunning; sagacious; subtle; wily; crafty. As*tute"ly, adv. -- As*tute"ness, n.
• KNOWINGNESS
  The state or quality of being knowing or intelligent; shrewdness; skillfulness.
• PREKNOWLEDGE
  Prior knowledge.
• DESIGNATE
  Designated; appointed; chosen. Sir G. Buck.
• PREFINE
  To limit beforehand. Knolles.
• GREAT-GRANDFATHER
  The father of one's grandfather or grandmother.
• CONGENEROUS
  Allied in origin or cause; congeneric; as, congenerous diseases. Sir T. Browne. -- Con*gen"er*ous*ness, n. Hallywell.