subtle
Small and not obvious, so it is easy to miss.
subtle in a sentence
- There was a subtle hint of lemon in the cake that only Grandma noticed.
- There was a subtle change in the wind, so small that only the old sailor noticed it.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to subtle?
- Aclear
- Bfaint
- Cobvious
- Dbold
Show the answer
B: faint. The other three mean the opposite of subtle.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to subtle?
- Afaint
- Bdelicate
- Cslight
- Dobvious
Show the answer
D: obvious. The other three mean nearly the same as subtle.
Words that mean something similar
faint, slight, delicate
Words that mean the opposite
obvious, clear, bold
More words about thinking & learning
- superficial: Only on the surface, without going deep.
- thorough: Done carefully and completely, with nothing missed out.
- unanimous: Agreed by every single person, with nobody voting against.
- uncanny: Strange in a way that is hard to explain and slightly spooky.
- unfathomable: Too strange, deep or difficult to understand.
- vague: Not clear or exact.
- valid: Based on good reasoning, or officially acceptable and able to be used.
- verdict: The decision reached at the end of a trial or contest.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test