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nuance

nuance

74 5.1
A small difference in meaning or feeling that is hard to notice
  • noun
  • /ˈnjuːɑːns/
: matiz
  • We're attentive to the subtle nuances of the experience.
  • nuances of meaning
  • understand the nuances
  • lack nuance

We're attentive to the subtle nuances of the experience.

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Examples

  • You do pick up every little nuance of the orchestra.

  • I know you long to defend your name and your honor, but the common mind has no capacity for this kind of nuance.

  • America has become unable to spot nuance and have any middle ground.

  • So the real nuance comes out when people speak.

  • There was a lack of nuance.

  • The exact exchange and nuance of phrase in this ritual is very important.

  • You cannot expect an animal to appreciate the nuances of the human condition.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Nonetheless, the effects of litigation have many nuances for employers and employees.

    Academic text (1999)
  • As any linguist knows, not only nuance but sometimes meaning itself can be sacrificed in translation.

    Academic text (1991)
  • The artist captured every nuance of her subject's emotions in the painting.

Synonyms

shade
vsnuance
127 3.8

A small amount that makes something a little different

emphasizes subtle difference in expression or feeling, not only degree
subtlety
vsnuance
54 6.8

A small important detail that is hard to notice

describes a specific small difference rather than the general quality
overtone
vsnuance
22 7.2

A hidden feeling or meaning that people notice beyond the main words

notes a small difference in meaning rather than an added suggestion
undertone
vsnuance
12 6.7

A hidden meaning under what someone says or does

expresses a small difference in meaning rather than an underlying hidden feeling
nicety
vsnuance
5 7.7

A small but important difference in meaning or detail

focuses on subtle distinctions generally rather than emphasizing importance of details
refinement
vsnuance
3 6.1

A small, subtle difference in meaning or opinion

is used interchangeably in most contexts without changing the meaning
shading
vsnuance
3 4.2

A small difference between similar things, often in color or meaning

means a single fine difference rather than a graded range

Antonyms

6 4.8

A direct and honest way of speaking that can seem rude

3 2.9

The quality of being easy to see or understand

How Subtle

nuance
74 5.1
shade
127 3.8
distinction
286 3.5
difference
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

nuance singular
nuances plural

Etymology

Nuance comes from a French word that goes back to the Latin nubes 'cloud', so imagine a soft cloud of color or meaning. That's why a nuance is a very small, gentle difference in meaning, feeling, or tone.