blunt

American  

[bluhnt] / blʌnt /

adjective

blunter, bluntest

1. having an obtuse, thick, or dull edge or point; rounded; not sharp.

   a blunt pencil.

2. abruptly plain and direct in address or manner, without attempting to be tactful.

   a blunt, ill-timed question.

   Synonyms:

   impolite, uncivil, rude, rough, gruff, short

3. slow in perception or understanding; obtuse.

   His isolation has made him blunt about the feelings of others.

   Synonyms:

   stolid, thick, dimwitted

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verb (used with object)

blunted, blunting

1. to make blunt or dull.

   He blunted the knife by using it to cut linoleum.

   Synonyms:

   hebetate, dull

2. to weaken or impair the force, keenness, or susceptibility of.

   Wine first excites, then blunts the imagination.

verb (used without object)

blunted, blunting

1. to become blunt or dull.

noun

1. something blunt, as a small-game arrow, a short sewing needle, or a short, thick cigar.

2. Slang. a cigar stuffed with marijuana.

blunt ¹ British  

/ blʌnt /

adjective

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

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verb

1. to make less sharp

2. to diminish the sensitivity or perception of; make dull

noun

1. slang a cannabis cigarette

Blunt ² British  

/ blʌnt /

noun

1. Anthony . 1907–83, British art historian and Soviet spy

2. Wilfred Scawen . 1840–1922, British poet, traveller, and anti-imperialist

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Usage

What is a basic definition of blunt? Blunt describes something as being not sharp or as being straightforward. Blunt is commonly used as a slang noun to mean a marijuana cigarette. Blunt has several other senses as an adjective, verb, and noun. If something is blunt, it has a flat surface or is rounded. Blunt objects lack points and will slam, prod, or smash rather than pierce, puncture, or stab. In this sense, blunt is the opposite of sharp. For example, a sword is a sharp weapon that has a fine point that can pierce or has a fine edge that can slice. On the other hand, a baseball bat is a blunt object that is rounded with a flat surface. You can’t cut or slice anything with a baseball bat. Real-life examples: Sledgehammers, baseball bats, and tubes are all blunt objects. Used in a sentence: He smacked the nails with the blunt end of the hammer. In this same sense, blunt means to make something not sharp. Used in a sentence: She blunted the knife by trying to use it to cut plaster. Blunt can also mean something is straightforward or direct. Usually, this sense refers to comments or statements that are abrupt. For example, saying that your girlfriend’s new dress is ugly is a blunt statement because it directly states an opinion. As you might guess, this sense of blunt is often used interchangeably with words such as rude, curt, and explicit. The adverb bluntly most often refers to this sense of blunt. Used in a sentence: “I really hate that guy,” Shirley said bluntly. In slang, a blunt is a rolled cigarette or cigar that contains marijuana. Used in a sentence: I saw him smoking a blunt out back on the porch.

Related Words

See dull. Blunt, bluff, brusque, curt characterize manners and speech. Blunt suggests lack of polish and of regard for the feelings of others: blunt and tactless. Bluff implies an unintentional roughness together with so much good-natured heartiness that others rarely take offense: a bluff sea captain. Brusque connotes sharpness and abruptness of speech or manner: a brusque denial. Curt applies especially to disconcertingly concise language: a curt reply. See dull.

Other Word Forms

• bluntly adverb
• bluntness noun
• unblunted adjective

Etymology

Origin of blunt

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English; perhaps akin to blind

Explanation

A blunt object is rounded — it isn't very pointy. A blunt comment is candid — it isn't very subtle. When we blunt things we make them less lively, sharp, or intense. Blunt and blunder ("make a stupid mistake") may have the same origins — the Old Norse blundra, meaning "to shut one's eyes." So don't be blunt ("dull" or "obtuse") — here are a few things you probably don't want to do: 1) use a blunt ("dull") knife to cut your tomatoes; 2) make a blunt ("outspoken") comment that might hurt someone's feelings; or 3) blunt ("deaden") the sound of your favorite music by sticking cotton balls in your ears.

Example Sentences

The reassurance rang out across HumanX, a four-day conference drawing some 6,500 investors, entrepreneurs and tech executives, even as a blunt advertisement at the entrance set the tone: "Stop hiring humans."

From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026

Asked about them, he was blunt: He is “not running a charity.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

The blunt answer is to take taxable distributions when you feel like it.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

Professor Chris Lintott of Oxford, co-host of The Sky at Night, was blunt: "The artistic value of the images returned from Artemis and its crew is significant, but their scientific value is limited."

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

Here, I am the strange one, with my blunt fingers, round ears, and mayfly life.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

Related Words

• brusque
• candid
• curt
• explicit
• forthright
• matter-of-fact
• outspoken
• rude
• trenchant