nuance
n. C / Un. a very small difference in meaning, sound, or feeling that might be hard to notice. You often look for nuance when trying to understand a complicated situation instead of just seeing it as black and white.
n. a subtle difference in or shade of meaning, expression, or sound. Frequently used to describe the complexity of an argument or artistic work that resists simple categorisation.
He missed the nuance of her joke and got offended.
The translator worked hard to capture every nuance of the original poem so the foreign readers would not miss the author's tone.
Because the debate was restricted to two-minute soundbites, any opportunity for nuance was lost, forcing the candidates into increasingly polarised and simplistic positions.
Borrowed from French nuance (“nuance, shade, hue”). Several steps omitting from Latin nūbēs. Compare typologically Italian sfumatura (< Latin fūmus).
Countable when referring to specific subtle differences; uncountable when referring to the general quality of complexity. Frequently collocates with verbs like 'capture', 'miss', or 'appreciate'.