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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

point blank en · ADJ

Pronunciation

Meanings

  1. (not-comparable) The distance between a gun and a target such that it requires minimal effort in aiming it. In particular no allowance needs to be made for effects of gravity, target movement or wind in aiming the projectile.
  2. (not-comparable) Blunt, outright.
    • Again I had an opportunity of asking him a point blank question, and again my delicacy prevented me from forcing another man to confide in me. 1887, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “A Study in Scarlet”, in Beeton’s Christmas Annual, London; New York, N.Y.: Ward, Lock & Co., part I (Being a reprint from the reminiscences of John H. Watson, M.D., […]), chapter II (The Science of Deduction), page 11:
    • Here I was brought into point blank collison with Rev. Dr. Cox, who made me the subject not only of bitter remark in the convention, but also of a long denunciatory letter published in the New York Evangelist and other American papers. 1855, Frederick Douglass, chapter XXIV, in My Bondage and My Freedom. […], New York; Auburn, N.Y.: Miller, Orton & Mulligan […], →OCLC:

Translations (3)

pl bezpośredni (Translations) · es a bocajarro (Translations) · es a quemarropa (Translations)

point blank en · ADV

Pronunciation

Meanings

  1. (not-comparable) Horizontally (as the angle at which a projectile is launched); directly or straight (at the target).
  2. (idiomatic, not-comparable) Directly; bluntly; without pretense or caution.
    • I asked him point blank whether he was cheating on his wife.
    • There’s a neighbor named Brace Dunlap that’s been wanting to marry their Benny for three months, and at last they told him point blank and once for all, he COULDN’T; so he has soured on them, and they’re worried about it. 1896, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], chapter I, in Tom Sawyer, Detective:

Translations (29)

pl bez ogródek (directly; bluntly; without pretense or caution) · hu kerek perec (directly; bluntly; without pretense or caution) · bg решително (directly; bluntly; without pretense or caution) · pt à queima-roupa (directly; bluntly; without pretense or caution) · ru в лоб (directly; bluntly; without pretense or caution) · ru в упо́р (directly; bluntly; without pretense or caution) · te ముఖం మీద కొట్టినట్లు (directly; bluntly; without pretense or caution) · bg категорично (directly; bluntly; without pretense or caution) · pl wprost (directly; bluntly; without pretense or caution) · he בטווח אפס (straight at the target) · fr de but en blanc (directly; bluntly; without pretense or caution) · es de punta en blanco (straight at the target) · ja 単刀直入 (directly; bluntly; without pretense or caution) · ru напряму́ю (directly; bluntly; without pretense or caution) · de in Kernschussweite (straight at the target) · es sin paños calientes (directly; bluntly; without pretense or caution) · es a bocajarro (directly; bluntly; without pretense or caution) · es a quemarropa (directly; bluntly; without pretense or caution) · es a quemarropa (straight at the target) · es de punto en blanco (straight at the target) · fr tout de go (directly; bluntly; without pretense or caution) · it a bruciapelo (straight at the target) · bg от упор (straight at the target) · es a bocajarro (straight at the target) · pl bezpośrednio (straight at the target) · fr à bout portant (straight at the target) · pl bezpośrednio (directly; bluntly; without pretense or caution) · it a bruciapelo (directly; bluntly; without pretense or caution) · pt à queima-roupa (straight at the target)