blunt

[ bluhnt ]

See synonyms for: blunt blunted blunter bluntly on Thesaurus.com

adjective,blunt·er, blunt·est.

having an obtuse, thick, or dull edge or point; rounded; not sharp: a blunt pencil.
abruptly plain and direct in address or manner, without attempting to be tactful: a blunt, ill-timed question.

slow in perception or understanding; obtuse: His isolation has made him blunt about the feelings of others.

verb (used with object),blunt·ed, blunt·ing.

to make blunt or dull: He blunted the knife by using it to cut linoleum.
to weaken or impair the force, keenness, or susceptibility of: Wine first excites, then blunts the imagination.

verb (used without object),blunt·ed, blunt·ing.

to become blunt or dull.

noun

something blunt, as a small-game arrow, a short sewing needle, or a short, thick cigar.
Slang. a cigar stuffed with marijuana.

Origin of blunt

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English; perhaps akin to blind

synonym study For blunt

1. See dull. 2. Blunt, bluff, brusque, curt characterize manners and speech. Blunt suggests lack of polish and of regard for the feelings of others: blunt and tactless. Bluff implies an unintentional roughness together with so much good-natured heartiness that others rarely take offense: a bluff sea captain. Brusque connotes sharpness and abruptness of speech or manner: a brusque denial. Curt applies especially to disconcertingly concise language: a curt reply. 3. See dull.

Other words for blunt

2	short, gruff, rough, rude, uncivil, impolite
3	dimwitted, thick, stolid
4	dull, hebetate

See synonyms for blunt on Thesaurus.com

Other words from blunt

blunt·ly, adverb
blunt·ness, noun
un·blunt·ed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use blunt in a sentence

The president could have helped avert the bloodshed in Egypt had he taken blunter action.
Obama’s Greatest Failure | Peter Beinart | August 14, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Peter Schiff, the head of Euro Pacific Capital, has been even blunter.
Megan McArdle on Why We Need to Jump Off the Fiscal Cliff | Megan McArdle | November 30, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
Distinguished from the last by being oval and by its beaks being blunter and more central.
Our British Snails | John William Horsley
His head was rounder and blunter than the rat's, his feet were larger and softer, and his limbs and his tail were shorter.
Creatures of the Night | Alfred W. Rees
But girls must learn now to accept simpler and blunter manners from their men friends.
Elizabeth's Campaign | Mrs. Humphrey Ward

At close up, his features blunter, less sensitive in chiselling than appears in his photographs.
Turns about Town | Robert Cortes Holliday
You will see that the angle at which the wheel meets the stone is a little blunter than the angle of the side of the wheel itself.
Stained Glass Work | C. W. Whall

British Dictionary definitions for blunt (1 of 2)

blunt

/ (blʌnt) /

adjective

(esp of a knife or blade) lacking sharpness or keenness; dull
not having a sharp edge or point: a blunt instrument

(of people, manner of speaking, etc) lacking refinement or subtlety; straightforward and uncomplicated
outspoken; direct and to the point: a blunt Yorkshireman

verb(tr)

to make less sharp
to diminish the sensitivity or perception of; make dull

noun

slang a cannabis cigarette

Origin of blunt

C12: probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse blundr dozing, blunda to close one's eyes; see blunder, blind

Derived forms of blunt

bluntly, adverb
bluntness, noun

British Dictionary definitions for Blunt (2 of 2)

Blunt

/ (blʌnt) /

noun

Anthony . 1907–83, British art historian and Soviet spy
Wilfred Scawen . 1840–1922, British poet, traveller, and anti-imperialist

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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