blunt en · ADJ · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /blʌnt/ (Received-Pronunciation, US)
- (US) audio
- /blʊnt/ (Northern-England)
Etymology
From Middle English blunt, blont, from Old English *blunt, probably of North Germanic origin, possibly related to Old Norse blunda (“to shut eyes, to doze”), related to blind (> Icelandic blunda, Swedish blunda, Danish blunde). Compare the Scandinavian-German munitons term blind (“non-live, dummy”), opposite of skarp (“live”, literally, “sharp”): Swedish and Danish blind patron (“dummy round”), Danish blindt skud, German blinder schuss (“dummy shot”), blinde granate (“dummy grenade”).
Meanings
-
Having a thick edge or point; not sharp.
The dinghy was trailing astern at the end of its painter, and Merrion looked at it as he passed. He saw that it was a battered-looking affair of the prahm type, with a blunt snout, and like the parent ship, had recently been painted a vivid green.
1944, Miles Burton, The Three Corpse Trick, chapter 5:The murderous knife was dull and blunt.
c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iv]:The face which emerged was not reassuring. It was blunt and grey, the nose springing thick and flat from high on the frontal bone of the forehead, whilst his eyes were narrow slits of dark in a tight bandage of tissue. […].
1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 17, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
-
Dull in understanding; slow of discernment; opposed to acute.
His wits are not so blunt.
1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene v]:
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Abrupt in address; plain; unceremonious; wanting in the forms of civility; rough in manners or speech.
a plain, blunt man
1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:I was taken aback by the blunt admission that he had never liked my company.
-
Hard to impress or penetrate.
December 30, 1736, Alexander Pope, letter to Jonathan Swift I find my heart hardened and blunt to new impressions.
- Slow or deficient in feeling: insensitive.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| bluntest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| blunter | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Deriveds
bluntslide · blunt instrument · bluntness · blunt-witted · bluntly · bluntable · bluntnose · blunten · blunt-nosed viper · semiblunt · bluntish
Synonyms
robust (abrupt in address) · impolite (abrupt in address) · obtuse (having a thick edge or point) · rude (abrupt in address) · harsh (abrupt in address) · obtuse (dull in understanding) · short (abrupt in address) · uncivil (abrupt in address) · pointless (having a thick edge or point) · coarse (having a thick edge or point) · stupid (dull in understanding) · brusque (abrupt in address) · dull (having a thick edge or point) · curt (abrupt in address)
Translations (170)
hi मुँहफट (abrupt in address; plain; unceremonious) · ka ბლაგვი (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · mi pūhoi (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · sv trubbig (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · es boto (dull in understanding; slow of discernment) · alt моко (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · bg тъп (dull in understanding; slow of discernment) · grc ἀμβλύς (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · ky мокок (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · es pompo (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · mi pūnguru (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · ta மொக்கையான (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · id majal (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · es tundente (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · la retusus (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · ba үтмәҫ (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · zza xırt (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · mk о́стар (abrupt in address; plain; unceremonious) · pl bezceremonialny (abrupt in address; plain; unceremonious) · pt brusco (abrupt in address; plain; unceremonious) · mk груб (abrupt in address; plain; unceremonious) · id tumpul (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · cy di-flewyn-ar-dafod (abrupt in address; plain; unceremonious) · fi suorasukainen (abrupt in address; plain; unceremonious) · de ungehobelt (abrupt in address; plain; unceremonious) · ar كَلِيل (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · ms tumpul (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · scn francu (abrupt in address; plain; unceremonious) · de stumpf (dull in understanding; slow of discernment) · izh tyltsä (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · ru тупо́й (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · gl obtuso (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · bho कुंद (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · de träge (dull in understanding; slow of discernment) · de stumpf (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · fr sot (dull in understanding; slow of discernment) · oc mos (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · es obtuso (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · sh туп (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · pt obtuso (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · gl ríspeto (abrupt in address; plain; unceremonious) · da sløv (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · gl mouco (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · mi kotehe (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · es desafilado (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · bg безцеремонен (abrupt in address; plain; unceremonious) · ro neascutit (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · gv angheyre (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · la hebes (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · th ทื่อ (dull in understanding; slow of discernment) · scn tunnu (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · de abgestumpft (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · et otsekohene (abrupt in address; plain; unceremonious) · ro bont (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · alt ӧтпӧс (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · it spuntato (hard to impress or penetrate) · hy բութ (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · ko 무딘 (dull in understanding; slow of discernment) · es directo (abrupt in address; plain; unceremonious) · mk тап (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · vi cùn (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · eu kamuts (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · mi pūhuki (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · ca rom (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · cy di-awch (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · ta அப்பட்டமான (abrupt in address; plain; unceremonious) · mi tūnguru (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · fi tylppä (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · de unverblümt (abrupt in address; plain; unceremonious) · ba тупаҡ (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · nn stump (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · cs tupý (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · km រឹល (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · mi nguture (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · mi pūnuki (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · hy բութ (dull in understanding; slow of discernment) · hu életlen (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · cy diseremoni (abrupt in address; plain; unceremonious) · el αμβλύς (dull in understanding; slow of discernment) · fi hidasälyinen (dull in understanding; slow of discernment) · sl top (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · ko 무딘 (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · nl bot (abrupt in address; plain; unceremonious) · pl tępy (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · fr abrupt (abrupt in address; plain; unceremonious) · bg глупав (dull in understanding; slow of discernment) · lv neass (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · pt obtuso (dull in understanding; slow of discernment) · ja 鈍い (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · ba тупаҫ (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · gl mouco (dull in understanding; slow of discernment) · ta மந்தம் (dull in understanding; slow of discernment) · bg рязък (abrupt in address; plain; unceremonious) · el αμβλύς (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · th ทื่อ (abrupt in address; plain; unceremonious) · ta மழுங்கிய (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · hu tompa (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · ota كور (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · bg нечувствителен (hard to impress or penetrate) · es botoso (dull in understanding; slow of discernment) · scn schittu (abrupt in address; plain; unceremonious) · th ทู่ (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · sk tupý (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · be тупы́ (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · mi kiporo (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · pt obtuso (hard to impress or penetrate) · fa کند (dull in understanding; slow of discernment) · nl stomp (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · cmn 鈍 /钝 (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · it spuntato (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · es botoso (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · cy plaen (abrupt in address; plain; unceremonious) · fr émoussé (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · et nüri (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · es romo (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · nl bot (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · my တုံး (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · fr obtus (dull in understanding; slow of discernment) · de abgestumpft (hard to impress or penetrate) · ta அப்பட்டம் (abrupt in address; plain; unceremonious) · bg притъпен (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · grc κωφός (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · mn мохоо (dull in understanding; slow of discernment) · eo malakra (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · mk на́гол (abrupt in address; plain; unceremonious) · fr idiot (dull in understanding; slow of discernment) · ru тупо́й (dull in understanding; slow of discernment) · uk тупи́й (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · akl dumpoe (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · tr küt (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · izh nyrhi (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · gl moucho (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · mi hāpūpū (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · lv truls (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · tsg tumpul (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · nb stump (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · es boto (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · mk о́тсечен (abrupt in address; plain; unceremonious) · gl brusco (abrupt in address; plain; unceremonious) · gl obtuso (dull in understanding; slow of discernment) · da sløv (dull in understanding; slow of discernment) · mn мохоо (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · es contundente (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · lt bukas (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · es franco (abrupt in address; plain; unceremonious) · it ottuso (dull in understanding; slow of discernment) · fi tylsä (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · ru гру́бый (abrupt in address; plain; unceremonious) · es brusco (abrupt in address; plain; unceremonious) · th ทื่อ (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · he קֵהֶה (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · gv neuvirragh (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · mk тап (dull in understanding; slow of discernment) · es terminante (abrupt in address; plain; unceremonious) · ja ストレート (abrupt in address; plain; unceremonious) · hi कुंद (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · fa کند (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · alt томтык (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · cy pŵl (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · es obtuso (dull in understanding; slow of discernment) · pt cego (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · izh tylppä (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · mi kuruhuki (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · ro tocit (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · sh tup (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · es despuntado (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · pt rombo (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · is sljór (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · bg тъп (having a thick edge or point, not sharp) · la obtusus (having a thick edge or point, not sharp)