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nuance
/ˈnuːɑːns/
subtle difference
The painting's beauty lies in its subtle nuances of color.
The painting's appeal comes from the small, hard-to-notice variations in color.
formal
A subtle difference in or shade of meaning, expression, or sound.
The chef could taste the nuances in the wine that others missed.
The chef could detect the subtle differences in the wine's flavor that most people wouldn't notice.
Understanding the nuances of body language is crucial in negotiations.
Recognizing the small, often unspoken signals in body language is essential for successful negotiations.
Often used to describe differences that are not immediately obvious but are important for full understanding.
Collocations
subtle nuancea very slight differencefine nuancea delicate or precise differencenuance of meaninga slight variation in what something means
Antonyms
Pro Tip
Common Mistake
Avoid using 'nuance' to describe obvious differences. It specifically refers to subtle, hard-to-notice distinctions.
Gold Rule
Context Matters
Always consider whether the difference being described is subtle enough to warrant the word 'nuance'.
Word Origin
From French 'nuance', meaning 'shade of color', derived from 'nue' (shade) + '-ance' (quality of). First used in English in the early 18th century to describe color variations, later extended to other subtle differences.
Usage Notes
Used in both artistic and analytical contexts. In art, it refers to color variations; in language or thought, it refers to subtle distinctions. Often pluralized in these contexts ('the nuances of the language').
Word Breakdown
nuance
the core concept of subtle difference
rootEnglish Dictionary