bluntly

American  

[bluhnt-lee] / ˈblʌnt li /

adverb

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. without any sharp points or edges.

   It has downy leaves and stems and small white flowers blooming in June, followed by bluntly triangular seedpods.

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Etymology

Origin of bluntly

blunt ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

At a recruiting event last year in London, one of Reflection’s executives put it more bluntly when speaking to a potential hire: “When you are talking to us, you are talking to Nvidia.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

Bursting into Kenna’s quarters seemingly at will, she raids her near-empty fridge while bluntly shouldering much of the exposition.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2026

Dorinda Medley has described the unspoken rule bluntly: you had to get there early, because once the salmon disappeared, what remained was… less compelling.

From Salon • Feb. 28, 2026

Wells Fargo’s Mike Mayo, bluntly asked whether the bank was an AI winner or loser.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 24, 2026

“If you want to put it that bluntly, then, yes,” the prince said.

From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas

Related Words

• crudely
• harshly