Nuance: meaning, example and synonyms

Nuancen. A subtle difference in meaning, expression, tone, or color.

Flashcard for Nuance (noun): a subtle difference in meaning, expression, tone, or color. Example: The translator worked to preserve every nuance of the original poem, knowing that a single word could shift its mood from grief to quiet hope. Synonyms: subtlety, shade, distinction, gradation. Antonyms: bluntness, obviousness, crudeness, oversimplification. Memory tip: French nuer = "to shade": a slight shade of meaning. Illustration: a painter's palette showing a smooth gradient of many slightly different shades of blue.

Example

The translator worked to preserve every nuance of the original poem, knowing that a single word could shift its mood from grief to quiet hope.

Part of speech
noun
Synonyms
subtlety, shade, distinction, gradation
Antonyms
bluntness, obviousness, crudeness, oversimplification
Memory tip
French nuer = "to shade": a slight shade of meaning.

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Check yourself: Nuance in context

Pick the word that best completes each text, as on the SAT's words-in-context questions.

Question 1

A skilled actor can convey a ______ of regret with a single pause, letting the audience sense what the character cannot say.

Question 2

The historian's account avoids simple heroes and villains, capturing the ______ of a period in which most people held mixed loyalties.

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