nuance
noun /ˈnjuːɑːns/
/ˈnuːɑːns/
[countable, uncountable]- a very slight difference in meaning, sound, colour or somebody’s feelings that is not usually very obvious
- He watched her face intently to catch every nuance of expression.
- Her singing has both warmth of sound and delicacy of nuance.
- You need to be able to convey the subtle nuances of meaning of each word.
Extra Examples- It took a while to get used to the social nuances of the office.
- Spectators may not understand all the nuances of the game.
- the painting's subtle nuances of colour and texture
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- fine
- little
- slight
- …
- appreciate
- understand
- capture
- …
Word Originlate 18th cent.: from French, ‘shade, subtlety’, from nuer ‘to shade’, based on Latin nubes ‘cloud’.