What's The Opposite Of Subtlety?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around identifying antonyms for the term "subtlety." Participants explore various words and phrases that could serve as opposites, engaging in a mix of linguistic exploration and playful banter. The conversation touches on the nuances of language, grammar, and the subjective nature of word meanings.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants propose words like "straightforwardness," "directness," and "in-your-faceness" as antonyms for subtlety.
  • Others suggest terms such as "overt," "crass," "obvious," and "persistent."
  • Several participants emphasize the word "blatant" as a strong candidate for the opposite of subtlety.
  • There is a discussion about the grammatical correctness of terms like "blatancy" and whether "subtlety" can function as both a noun and an adverb.
  • Some participants express the view that subtlety and its antonyms are not inherently good or bad, depending on context.
  • Additional suggestions include "crudeness," "rudeness," "ingenuousness," and "obviousness," with some participants questioning the appropriateness of these terms as antonyms.
  • One participant mentions looking for a term that conveys "forcefulness" as an opposite to subtlety.
  • There is a playful exchange regarding the legitimacy of certain words and their usage in language.
  • Some participants reflect on the absence of a quality when subtlety is removed, suggesting a philosophical angle to the discussion.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a variety of opinions on potential antonyms, and there is no consensus on a single term that universally captures the opposite of subtlety. The discussion remains unresolved with multiple competing views on the matter.

Contextual Notes

Some participants note the mixing of adjectives and nouns in their suggestions, which raises questions about grammatical accuracy. There is also a recognition that the meanings of words can vary based on context, leading to differing interpretations of subtlety and its antonyms.

Hornbein
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I'd say plump.
 
Try:
overt
crass
obvious
persistent

[Edit: I am deriving antonyms for subtle.]
 
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blatant is a good word.
disclosure: I did that using I.I. (Innate Intellegence)
 
Please stop mixing adjectives and nouns, people. This is painful to watch. :wink:

(Just another helpful PSA from the Grammar Police...)[/size]
 
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I gave both!!
 
hutchphd said:
blatant is a good word.
hutchphd said:
I gave both!!
Which what where? :smile:
 
I augmented it before your (reasonable) complaint dropped. Or at least before I saw it.......!
Edit: OOps I guess I screwed up. Here is my revision

blatant is a good word.
disclosure: I did that using I.I. (Innate Intellegence). Is blatancy a word?
 
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Blatant is a good word, the best of words, even.

Also, could not subtlety be a noun and an adverb?

He subtlety subtly inserted an ambiguous term in the sentence. His subtlety being legion.

[Edit2: Correction. The adverb lacks the "e". The joke still works but the spelling does not.]
 
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  • #10
And blatancy is a real word! I did look that up......
 
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  • #11
Klystron said:
Blatant is a good word, the best of words, even.

Also, could not subtlety be a noun and an adverb?

He subtlety inserted an ambiguous term in the sentence. His subtlety being legion.
Not in the English language.

He subtly inserted... (A word I would have spelled wrong. Arrggg! I meant I would have spelled it wrongly.)
 
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  • #12
hutchphd said:
Is blatancy a word?
Hmm, consulting the Scrabble Dictionary now. Back in a miniteness... :wink:
 
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  • #13
hutchphd said:
And blatancy is a real word! I did look that up......
References please!
 
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  • #14
My objection is that there seems to be an assumption that subtlety is good and its opposite is bad. I don't believe that. They both have their uses.
 
  • #15
Hornbein said:
an assumption that subtlety is good and its opposite is bad.
The adjectives subtle and obvious are neither good nor bad without context, IMO.
 
  • #16
Crudeness, rudeness, or ingenuousness.

Others, according to Reverso:
  • Stupidity
  • Roughness
  • Coarseness
  • Artlessness
  • Clumsiness
  • Sincerity
 
  • #17
jack action said:
Crudeness, rudeness, or ingenuousness.

Others, according to Reverso:
  • Stupidity
  • Roughness
  • Coarseness
  • Artlessness
  • Clumsiness
  • Sincerity
As antonyms of Subtlety? Yikes, I'd delete that bookmark if I were you. :wink:
 
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  • #19
I guess what I'm looking for is forcefulness. It took me 14 hours to come up with that.
 
  • #20
What about unsubtlety?
 
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  • #21
Brass? Gall? Nerve?....
 
  • #22
Curiously, in-your-face has an entry on merriam-webster. :)
 
  • #23
Obviousness
(obviously!)
 
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  • #24
Blatancy I would say is a better polar opposite of subtlety*.

Forcefulness would be the polar opposite of something more like delicacy.


*dont care what M-W says, I will always spell it this way.
 
  • #25
Maybe "blunt" could be it?
 
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  • #26
marcusl said:
Obviousness
(obviously!)
I like this one. I have never seen or heard this word used before, but why should that stop us?
 
  • #27
Hornbein said:
I like this one. I have never seen or heard this word used before, but why should that stop us?
Obviously due to its obviousness....
 
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  • #28
PeroK said:
What about unsubtlety?
After much pensive retrospection I've concluded you are right. There is no quality that arises when subtlety is removed. There's only subtlety and its absence.
 
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  • #29
carterluke said:
The opposite of subtlety is overt and blatant behavior or communication, lacking nuance and delicacy.
That's opposite meaning, sure. Can you find a single word solution?

carterluke said:
you can check here [spam link deleted by the Mentors]
That does not seem to do what you claim it does.
 
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  • #30
I guess blatantcy is a word.
 

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