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Nuanced vs Intricate - What's the difference?

nuanced | intricate |

As adjectives the difference between nuanced and intricate

is that nuanced is having nuances; possessed of multiple layers of detail, pattern, or meaning while intricate is having a great deal of fine detail or complexity.

As a verb intricate is

to become enmeshed or entangled.

nuanced

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Having nuances; possessed of multiple layers of detail, pattern, or meaning
    • The setting sunlight played through the gently waving branches, creating subtly nuanced transitions of color and tone as the shadows swept back and forth in the rosy glow.
  • * 1989 , R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word: 1-9:1 :
    • I would like to have heard his intonation delicately nuanced so as to carry the greatest punch. I would like to have seen the changes of expression that played across his face as he spoke.''
  • * 1998 , Meredith Parsons Lillich, The Queen of Sicily and Gothic Stained Glass in Mussy and Tonnerre :
    • ...the pattern normally straightens into an almost pure latticework of identical quarries and the foliage painting becomes much more nuanced and delicate.

    intricate

    English

    Alternative forms

    * entricate

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) intricatus'' (past participle of ''intricare ).

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Having a great deal of fine detail or complexity.
  • :
  • *(Joseph Addison) (1672–1719)
  • *:His style was fit to convey the most intricate business to the understanding with the utmost clearness.
  • *
  • *:As a matter of fact its narrow ornate façade presented not a single quiet space that the eyes might rest on after a tiring attempt to follow and codify the arabesques, foliations, and intricate vermiculations of what some disrespectfully dubbed as “near-aissance.”

    • Etymology 2

    As the adjective; or by analogy with extricate

    Verb

    (intricat)
  • To become enmeshed or entangled.
  • * 1864 October 18, J.E. Freund, “ How to Avoid the Use of Lint”, letter to the editor, in The New York Times (1864 October 23):
    • washes off easily, without sticking or intricating into the wound.
  • To enmesh or entangle: to cause to intricate.
  • * 1994 December 12, , “ Avoid Dunkirk II” (essay), in The New York Times :
    • But the British and French won't hear of that; they want to get their troops extricated and our ground troops intricated .

    Anagrams

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