point-blank
Americanadjective
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aimed or fired straight at the mark especially from close range; direct.
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straightforward, plain, or explicit.
a point-blank denial.
adverb
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with a direct aim; directly; straight.
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bluntly; frankly.
She told him point-blank that he was not welcome.
adjective
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aimed or fired at a target so close that it is unnecessary to make allowance for the drop in the course of the projectile
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permitting such aim or fire without loss of accuracy
at point-blank range
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plain or blunt
a point-blank question
adverb
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directly or straight
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plainly or bluntly
Etymology
Origin of point-blank
First recorded in 1565–75
Explanation
A point-blank shot is fired from very near its target, and a point-blank statement is blunt and straightforward. During an old-fashioned gun duel, people would settle an argument by shooting at each other point-blank. The original meaning of point-blank, "close enough to hit the center of the target," definitely comes from French, although its origin is a bit of a mystery. Some think the source is point blanc, "white point," referring to the white circle in the middle of a target. Others believe it stems from de pointe en blanc, "point in empty space," used to describe a test shot fired into the air.
Vocabulary lists containing point-blank
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.
She’s 28 now—it’s been more than a decade since she wrote I Am Malala, about speaking out against the Taliban as a teenager and surviving being shot at point-blank range for it.
From Slate • May 8, 2026
Torres should have restored the Catalans' advantage but, in a comical moment, hit the bar from point-blank range and then immediately diverted the rebound against the post.
From Barron's • Jan. 31, 2026
Craig Wright was just one of numerous players battering at the Quins line, before the ball found its way to Coles, who proved unstoppable from point-blank range.
From BBC • Jan. 3, 2026
Goalkeeper Joseph Piscatella made several point-blank saves to keep his side on top.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 9, 2025
Joe had finally gone to his brother Fred and asked him point-blank where their father was, and Fred, after some hemming and hawing, had told him.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
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.
