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Guile vs Subtle - What's the difference?

guile | subtle |

As a noun guile

is (uncountable) astuteness often marked by a certain sense of cunning or artful deception.

As a verb guile

is to deceive, to beguile.

As an adjective subtle is

hard to grasp; not obvious or easily understood; barely noticeable.

guile

English

Noun

  • (uncountable) Astuteness often marked by a certain sense of cunning or artful deception.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2012 , date=April 24 , author=Phil Dawkes , title=Barcelona 2-2 Chelsea , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=It was a result that owed a lot to a moment of guile from Ramires but more to a display of guts from the Brazilian and his team-mates after Terry's needless dismissal eight minutes before half-time for driving a knee into the back of Alexis Sanchez off the ball.}}
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=November 11 , author=Rory Houston , title=Estonia 0-4 Republic of Ireland , work=RTE Sport citation , page= , passage=Estonia were struggling to get to grips with the game while Ireland were showing a composure and guile that demonstrated their experience in play-off ties.}}
  • Deceptiveness, deceit, fraud, duplicity, dishonesty.
  • * 'The Bible - King James Version: John 1:47
    • Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile !

    Verb

    (guil)
  • to deceive, to beguile

    • Derived terms

    * beguile * guileful * guileless

    Related terms

    * wile

    References

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    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

    * * *

    Anagrams

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