Meaning & use

blunt

adjective·Everyday

Speaking or expressed in a very direct way, without trying to soften an unwelcome truth.

See it in a sentence

Her blunt feedback stung at first, but it helped him fix the report quickly.

He gave a blunt refusal, saying flatly that the plan would never work.

A note on using this word

Blunt describes plain, undiplomatic speech; it can also describe a physically dull edge, so context shows which sense is meant.

Words with a similar meaning

directfrankforthright

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

Another way to use it

2. adjective

Having a thick or rounded edge or point rather than a sharp one.

The knife was too blunt to cut through the tough bread crust.

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