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Garish vs Subtle - What's the difference?

garish | subtle |

As adjectives the difference between garish and subtle

is that garish is overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste while subtle is hard to grasp; not obvious or easily understood; barely noticeable.

garish

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste.
  • :
  • *
  • *:"My tastes," he said, still smiling, "incline me to the garishly sunlit side of this planet." And, to tease her and arouse her to combat: "I prefer a farandole to a nocturne; I'd rather have a painting than an etching; Mr. Whistler bores me with his monochromatic mud; I don't like dull colours, dull sounds, dull intellects;."
  • *2003 August 10, Ken Keeler, "The Devil's Hands are Idle Playthings", Futurama , season 5, episode 16, Fox Broadcasting Company
  • *:Leela: He gave me mechanical ears / Effective though just a bit garish .

    • References

    subtle

    English

    Alternative forms

    * subtil (obsolete) * subtile (obsolete)

    Adjective

    (er)
  • Hard to grasp; not obvious or easily understood; barely noticeable.
    • The difference is subtle , but you can hear it if you listen carefully.
  • (of a thing) Cleverly contrived.
  • (of a person or animal) Cunning, skillful.
  • insidious
  • * 1623 , , act iv, scene 4,
    • Thy age confirmed, proud, subtle , bloody, treacherous.
  • Tenuous; rarefied; of low density or thin consistency.

    • Synonyms

    * crafty, cunning, skillful * (insidious) insidious

    Antonyms

    * (hard to grasp) simple

    Derived terms

    * subtle body * subtleness * subtlety * subtly

    References

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    Anagrams

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