straightforward(STRAYT FAWR woerd) adj. 1. direct; moving straight ahead;- frank; honest; open; 3. clear; unambiguous
- Perry found that the best way to tackle a problem is the straightforward
one; that is, attack it head on. - It is best to be straightforwardin our relationships with others, as that
encourages them to be the same way with us. - Rose has found that when she needs something done, the more straightfor-
wardshe is in her instructions, the more likely it is that the job will be
done the way she wants it.
subjective (suhb JEK tiv) adj. governed by what is in one’s mind, rather than by
reality; not objective; personal; introspective - How to behave in a certain situation is usually a very subjectivedecision,
meaning that no two people would act quite the same. - Subjectivereactions are normally the product of one’s total life experiences.
[-ly adv.]
subtlety(SUHT il tee) n. 1. the ability or tendency to be able to make fine dis-
tinctions; 2. the quality or condition of being delicately skillful or clever - Subtletyis the difference between clucking your tongue at a child’s misbe-
havior and hitting him or her over the head with a sledgehammer. - Subtletyis an acquired skill, brought about by watching the behavior of
your role models over the course of time.
[subtleties pl.,subtleness n., subtle adj., subtly adv.]
subvert(suhb VOERT) vt. 1. to undermine or corrupt; 2. to overthrow an estab-
lished power by indirect means - By reacting to a child’s appeal to override the decision of her father, a
mother subvertsthe father’s authority. - The Persian emperor’s rule was subvertedby Alexander the Great’s invasion,
when the emperor’s own men killed him.
- Perry found that the best way to tackle a problem is the straightforward
218 Essential Vocabulary