Synonyms of subtlety

subtlety

noun

ˈsə-tᵊl-tē 

as in cunning

skill in achieving one's ends through indirect, subtle, or underhanded means

we appreciated the subtlety with which our host indicated that it was time to leave: he volunteered to pack us a little lunch for the road

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cunning
• artfulness
• subtleness
• slyness
• guile
• deviousness
• slickness
• sneakiness
• canniness
• ease
• cunningness
• craft
• craftiness
• wiliness
• artifice
• calculation
• caginess
• inventiveness
• cageyness
• cleverness
• shrewdness
• finesse
• foxiness
• design
• care
• ingenuity
• guilefulness
• savvy
• ingeniousness
• sharpness
• duplicity
• facility
• shiftiness
• underhandedness
• deceitfulness

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of subtlety

Employees are acutely attuned to the subtleties in their supervisor’s communication, using these cues to gauge trustworthiness and interpret intentions. —Cheryl Robinson, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024

The masterful subtlety of light brushstrokes and the troublingly realistic sfumato of the Renaissance painter in the service of god or a noblewoman elevated the work and, by extension, its maker to celebrity. —Ruby Justice Thelot, ARTnews.com, 1 Nov. 2024

Much like the ancient celebration of Samhain (All Hallows’ Eve), Scorpios are masters of subtlety and their quiet stillness more than often belies what’s actually stirring beneath the surface of their perpetual poker face. —Valerie Mesa, People.com, 23 Oct. 2024

Powers has also written novels of greater subtlety, driven by a purist’s fascination with the inner workings of complex systems and instruments: The Gold Bug Variations, Galatea 2.2, Orfeo,Plowing the Dark. —Randy Boyagoda, The Atlantic, 17 Oct. 2024