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

But this absence of subtlety is barely a criticism, because what is on display here, whether on land or at sea, marked by bloom or doom, is a gorgeous, gripping pleasure. —Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 21 Dec. 2024

Some of that continuity is thanks to the ever-present yearning in Martin’s voice, some to the big chords and cathedral choruses, some to the lyrics that have ambiguity without a shred of subtlety. —Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 19 Dec. 2024

Kiran explained that subtlety is central to her filmmaking style. —Taarini Kaur Dang, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024

Since an excess of subtlety might have led to the general underappreciation of something like Reservation Dogs, sometimes a little guiding hand-holding isn’t a bad thing. —Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Dec. 2024