subtly

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English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle English sotilly; equivalent to subtle +‎ -ly.

Pronunciation

  • Lua error in Module:parameters at line 360: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "UK" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /ˈsʌt.li/, /ˈsʌ.tl̩.li/
  • Lua error in Module:parameters at line 360: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "US" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /ˈsʌ.tl̩.li/

Adverb

subtly (comparative more subtly, superlative most subtly)

  1. With subtleness, in a subtle manner. With cleverness rather than brute force.
    • 2013 August 10, “A new prescription”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848:
      As the world's drug habit shows, governments are failing in their quest to monitor every London window-box and Andean hillside for banned plants. But even that Sisyphean task looks easy next to the fight against synthetic drugs. No sooner has a drug been blacklisted than chemists adjust their recipe and start churning out a subtly different one.

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