Subtle vs Slight - What's the difference?
subtle | slight |
Hard to grasp; not obvious or easily understood; barely noticeable.
(of a thing) Cleverly contrived.
(of a person or animal) Cunning, skillful.
insidious
* 1623 , , act iv, scene 4,
Tenuous; rarefied; of low density or thin consistency.
Small, weak or gentle; not decidedly marked; not forcible; inconsiderable; unimportant; insignificant; not severe.
* (Alexander Pope) (1688-1744)
* (John Locke) (1632-1705)
* {{quote-book, year=1922, author=(Ben Travers), title=(A Cuckoo in the Nest)
, chapter=2 Not stout or heavy; slender.
* Sir (Walter Scott) (1771-1832)
(obsolete) Foolish; silly; weak in intellect.
To treat as slight or not worthy of attention, to make light of.
* Cowper
To treat with disdain or neglect.
To act negligently or carelessly.
(military, of a fortification) To render no longer defensible by full or partial demolition.
To make even or level.
To throw heedlessly.
* Shakespeare
The act of slighting; a deliberate act of neglect or discourtesy.
* (Benjamin Franklin)
Sleight.
As adjectives the difference between subtle and slight
is that subtle is hard to grasp; not obvious or easily understood; barely noticeable while slight is small, weak, or gentle; not decidedly marked; not forcible; inconsiderable; unimportant; insignificant; not severe.As a verb slight is
to treat as slight or not worthy of attention, to make light of.As a noun slight is
the act of slighting; a deliberate act of neglect or discourtesy.subtle
English
Alternative forms
* subtil (obsolete) * subtile (obsolete)Adjective
(er)- The difference is subtle , but you can hear it if you listen carefully.
- Thy age confirmed, proud, subtle , bloody, treacherous.
Synonyms
* crafty, cunning, skillful * (insidious) insidiousAntonyms
* (hard to grasp) simpleDerived terms
* subtle body * subtleness * subtlety * subtlyReferences
* * *Anagrams
* * * *slight
English
Adjective
(er)- Slight is the subject, but not so the praise.
- Some firmly embrace doctrines upon slight grounds.
citation, passage=Mother very rightly resented the slightest hint of condescension. She considered that the exclusiveness of Peter's circle was due not to its distinction, but to the fact that it was an inner Babylon of prodigality and whoredom,
- his own figure, which was formerly so slight
- (Hudibras)
Synonyms
* See alsoDerived terms
* slightish * slightly * slightnessVerb
(en verb)- the wretch who slights the bounty of the skies
- (Clarendon)
- (Hexham)
- The rogue slighted me into the river.
Synonyms
* See alsoDerived terms
* slightinglyNoun
(wikipedia slight) (en noun)- Never use a slighting expression to her, even in jest; for slights in jest, after frequent bandyings, are apt to end in angry earnest.
- (Spenser)
