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.
“Besides being in bad taste, there are many reasons why this prank is, to put it bluntly, stupid and potentially dangerous,” the department said in a statement at the time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Michael Hill, a professor of chemistry at Occidental College, puts it more bluntly: "LASIK is just a fancy way of doing traditional surgery. It's still carving tissue -- it's just carving with a laser."
From Science Daily ● Sep. 29, 2026
The court’s latest rebuff—a five-page opinion without any dissents—said bluntly that the decision “should come as no surprise” given its earlier rulings on the matter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
My husband thinks I’ve been taken advantage of, though he wouldn’t put it that bluntly.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026
“Well, maybe you ought to think about retirement yourself,” said Slughorn bluntly.
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
