1. delicate or refined in meaning or intent; not obvious
Usage: archaic or literary
2. having a thin, tenuous, or rarefied quality
Usage: archaic

Examples

• The poet’s subtile imagery required careful interpretation.
• Her subtile understanding of human nature impressed everyone.
• The subtile fragrance of jasmine filled the evening air.
• He made a subtile distinction between the two philosophical concepts.
• The subtile threads of the ancient tapestry were barely visible.
• The subtile difference in their arguments was lost on most listeners.