bluntly
Americanadverb
-
starkly and directly, with no attempt to be tactful or diplomatic.
I always had a tendency to act in ways that are politically unwise—to bluntly say what I consider the truth.
To put it bluntly, that is a very poor piece of policy-making.
-
in a way that involves no subtlety or discernment.
It was one of those things that's so bluntly obvious, none of them really had to say anything about it.
The three-strikes law has been applied too broadly, too bluntly, with some people serving life sentences for relatively minor crimes.
-
without any sharp points or edges.
It has downy leaves and stems and small white flowers blooming in June, followed by bluntly triangular seedpods.
Etymology
Origin of bluntly
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Like other Angel releases, this one is made with an old-fashioned earnestness that assumes the audience wants every character trait and plot development indicated as bluntly as possible.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
But when David suggests that it’s time to move on, Tina bluntly replies, “It’s not over yet.”
From Salon ● Jun. 28, 2026
Put bluntly, the status quo will not hold.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
One job seeker put it bluntly: “I became invisible when I turned 60.”
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 19, 2026
Two fierce old women supervised the process, discussing them as bluntly as if they were newly acquired donkeys.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
