blunt
adjective · verb · noun
Simple meaning
Having a thick edge or point.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
bluhntIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈblʌnt
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
adjective
Having a thick edge or point; not sharp.
Dull in understanding; slow of discernment; opposed to acute.
Abrupt in address; plain; unceremonious; wanting in the forms of civility; rough in manners or speech.
Slow or deficient in feeling: insensitive.
Hard to impress or penetrate.
verb
To dull the edge or point of, by making it thicker; to make blunt.
figuratively
To repress or weaken; to impair the force, keenness, or susceptibility, of
noun
A short needle with a strong point.
A fencer's practice foil with a soft tip.
A playboating move resembling a cartwheel performed on a wave.
A minor city in Hughes County, South Dakota, United States.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Having a thick edge or point; not sharp.
Used this way, blunt is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use blunt
- “Her blunt honesty sometimes surprises people, but it is always true.”
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A file with parallel edges.
Small erect shrub of Australia and Tasmania with fragrant ivory flowers.
Injury incurred when the human body hits or is hit by a large outside object (as a car).
Related Words
Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: to dull the edge or point of
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.