noun
nuance
NYOO-ahns
noun
1
A subtle difference or shade of meaning, feeling, or tone.
"A good translator captures the nuances of the original text."
"There's a nuance between "confident" and "arrogant" that's easy to miss."
How to Use Nuance
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA small, subtle detail that changes the meaning or feel of something.
Common pairings
subtle nuance
catch the nuance
nuances of meaning
Word Forms
nuanced past tense, nuances plural, nuances singular
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “nuance”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
A good translator captures the _____ of the original text.
Etymology
Borrowed from French nuance, "shade" or "hue," ultimately traced back to Latin nubes, "cloud."