blunt
(redirected from blunter)Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Idioms, Encyclopedia.
blunt
(blŭnt)adj. blunt·er, blunt·est
1. Having a dull edge or end; not sharp.
2.
a. Abrupt and often disconcertingly frank in speech: "People [in the Western US] are blunt with one another, sometimes even cruel, believing honesty is stronger medicine than sympathy" (Gretel Ehrlich). See Synonyms at gruff.
b. Stark; unadorned: "The blunt truth ... is that he is devoid of political courage" (Jeff Jacoby).
3. Slow to perceive, understand, or feel; dull or insensitive: "I felt blunt with shock when I heard the news" (Sallie Bingham).
v. blunt·ed, blunt·ing, blunts
v.tr.
1. To dull the edge of (a knife, for example).
2. To make less effective; weaken: blunting the criticism with a smile.
v.intr.
To become blunt: When the scraper blade blunts, you will have to replace it.
n.
1. A cigar whose interior has been hollowed out and filled with marijuana.
2. A marijuana cigarette that has been rolled in a cigar's tobacco leaf wrapper instead of rolling paper.
[Middle English. N., short for Phillies Blunt, a trademark for cigars of a type often used to make blunts.]
blunt′ly adv.
blunt′ness n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
blunt
(blʌnt)adj
1. (esp of a knife or blade) lacking sharpness or keenness; dull
2. not having a sharp edge or point: a blunt instrument.
3. (of people, manner of speaking, etc) lacking refinement or subtlety; straightforward and uncomplicated
4. outspoken; direct and to the point: a blunt Yorkshireman.
vb (tr)
5. to make less sharp
6. to diminish the sensitivity or perception of; make dull
n
slang a cannabis cigarette
[C12: probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse blundr dozing, blunda to close one's eyes; see blunder, blind]
ˈbluntly adv
ˈbluntness n
Blunt
(blʌnt)n
1. (Biography) Anthony. 1907–83, British art historian and Soviet spy
2. (Biography) Wilfred Scawen. 1840–1922, British poet, traveller, and anti-imperialist
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
blunt
(blʌnt)adj. blunt•er, blunt•est,
v. adj.
1. having an obtuse, thick, or dull edge or point: a blunt pencil.
2. abrupt and direct in address or manner; frank.
3. slow in perception or understanding; obtuse.
v.t. 4. to make blunt; dull.
5. to weaken or impair the force, keenness, or susceptibility of: Wine in excess can blunt the senses.
v.i. 6. to become blunt.
[1150–1200; Middle English]
blunt′ly, adv.
blunt′ness, n.
syn: blunt, brusque, curt characterize manners and speech. blunt suggests unnecessary frankness and a lack of regard for the feelings of others: blunt and tactless remarks. brusque connotes a sharpness that borders on rudeness: a brusque denial. curt applies esp. to disconcertingly concise language: a curt reply.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
dull
– blunt1. 'dull'
If you say that something is dull, you mean that it is not interesting.
I thought the book dull and unoriginal.
It will be so dull here without you.
2. 'blunt'
In British English, if a knife is no longer sharp, you do not say that it is 'dull'. You say that it is blunt.
Scrape off as much as possible with a blunt knife.
American English also uses dull for this meaning.
He had a cut on his face from shaving with a dull razor.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
blunt
Past participle: blunted
Gerund: blunting
| Imperative |
|---|
| blunt |
| blunt |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Verb | 1. | blunt - make less intense; "blunted emotions" weaken - lessen the strength of; "The fever weakened his body" |
| 2. | blunt - make numb or insensitive; "The shock numbed her senses" desensitise, desensitize - cause not to be sensitive; "The war desensitized many soldiers"; "The photographic plate was desensitized" | |
| 3. | blunt - make dull or blunt; "Too much cutting dulls the knife's edge" | |
| 4. | blunt - make less sharp; "blunt the knives" | |
| 5. | blunt - make less lively, intense, or vigorous; impair in vigor, force, activity, or sensation; "Terror blunted her feelings"; "deaden a sound" alter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue" obtund - reduce the edge or violence of; "obtunded reflexes" petrify - cause to become stonelike or stiff or dazed and stunned; "The horror petrified his feelings"; "Fear petrified her thinking" | |
| Adj. | 1. | blunt - having a broad or rounded end; "thick marks made by a blunt pencil" |
| 2. | blunt - used of a knife or other blade; not sharp; "a blunt instrument" dull - not having a sharp edge or point; "the knife was too dull to be of any use" | |
| 3. | blunt - characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion; "blunt talking and straight shooting"; "a blunt New England farmer"; "I gave them my candid opinion"; "forthright criticism"; "a forthright approach to the problem"; "tell me what you think--and you may just as well be frank"; "it is possible to be outspoken without being rude"; "plainspoken and to the point"; "a point-blank accusation" candid, forthright, frank, free-spoken, point-blank, straight-from-the-shoulder, outspoken, plainspoken direct - straightforward in means or manner or behavior or language or action; "a direct question"; "a direct response"; "a direct approach" | |
| 4. | blunt - devoid of any qualifications or disguise or adornment; "the blunt truth"; "the crude facts"; "facing the stark reality of the deadline" unconditional, unconditioned - not conditional; "unconditional surrender" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
blunt
adjective
1. frank, forthright, straightforward, explicit, rude, outspoken, bluff, downright, upfront (informal), trenchant, brusque, plain-spoken, tactless, impolite, discourteous, unpolished, uncivil, straight from the shoulder She is blunt about her personal life.
frank sensitive, diplomatic, subtle, courteous, tactful
frank sensitive, diplomatic, subtle, courteous, tactful
verb
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
blunt
adjective1. Not physically sharp or keen:
dull.
1. To make or become less sharp-edged:
Idiom: take the edge off.
2. To render less sensitive:
Idiom: take the edge off.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
خَشِنغَيْرُ حادٍ، كليل، مُثَلَّمفَظٌّ وَصَريحينْثَلِم، يَكِلُّ
neomalenýotupittupýupřímný
ligefremsløvblive sløvkontant
tylsätylppä
izravan
nyers
berorîur, afdráttarlaus, ónærgætinnsljór, bitlaussljóvga
鈍い
무딘
atbukintiatšipęsatšipintibukintišipinti
atklātsneassnotrulinātskarbstruls
neokresanýotupiť
brezobzirenodkrittop
slötrubbig
ทื่อ
thẳng thừng
blunt
[blʌnt]A. ADJ
1. (= not sharp) [edge] → desafilado; [point] → despuntado
with a blunt instrument → con un instrumento contundente
with a blunt instrument → con un instrumento contundente
2. (= outspoken) [manner, person] → directo, franco; [statement] → terminante
I will be blunt with you → voy a hablarte con franqueza
he was very blunt with me → no se mordió la lengua conmigo
I will be blunt with you → voy a hablarte con franqueza
he was very blunt with me → no se mordió la lengua conmigo
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
blunt
[ˈblʌnt] adj
(= not pointed) [object] → contondant(e) blunt instrument
[message, warning, response] → carré(e), net(te)
to be blunt ... (= frankly) → à dire vrai ..., (pour parler) franchement ...
to be blunt ... (= frankly) → à dire vrai ..., (pour parler) franchement ...
vt
[+ scissors, knife] → émousser
[+ appetite, response, impact] → émousserblunt instrument n → instrument m contondant
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
blunt
adj (+er)
(= outspoken) person → geradeheraus pred; speech, warning, message, language → unverblümt; fact → nackt, unbeschönigt; he’s rather a blunt person → er drückt sich ziemlich unverblümt or deutlich aus; to be blunt about something → sich unverblümt zu etw äußern; he was very blunt about it → er hat sich sehr deutlich ausgedrückt; let me be blunt about this → lassen Sie mich das ganz ohne Umschweife sagen
vt knife etc → stumpf machen; (fig) palate, senses → abstumpfen; his wits had been blunted → er war geistig abgestumpft
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
blunt
[blʌnt]1. adj
a. (not sharp, edge) → non tagliente, smussato/a; (knife) → che non taglia; (point) → spuntato/a
this pencil is blunt → questa matita non ha più la punta
blunt instrument (Law) → corpo contundente
this pencil is blunt → questa matita non ha più la punta
blunt instrument (Law) → corpo contundente
b. (outspoken) → brutale; (manners) → brusco/a
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
blunt
(blant) adjective1. (of objects) having no point or sharp edge. a blunt knife.
2. (of people) (sometimes unpleasantly) straightforward or frank in speech. She was very blunt, and said that she did not like him.
verb to make less sharp. This knife has been blunted by years of use.
ˈbluntly adverbˈbluntness noun
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
blunt
→ خَشِن upřímný ligefrem unverblümt αμβλύς directo, romo tylsä émoussé izravan diretto 鈍い 무딘 bot brysk stępiony franco резкий slö ทื่อ dobra thẳng thừng 钝的Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
blunt
a. despuntado-a; embotado-a;
___ injuries → heridas contusas.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
blunt
adj (object) romo, sin filo; (trauma) cerradoEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.