blunt

adjective

/blʌnt/

(comparative blunter, superlative bluntest)

without a sharp edge or point不锋利的；钝的
- a blunt knife钝刀子
- This pencil's blunt!这支铅笔不尖了！
- The police said he had been hit with a blunt instrument.警方说他遭到了钝器袭击。
opposite sharp
(of a person or remark) very direct; saying exactly what you think without trying to be polite嘴直的；直言的
- She has a reputation for blunt speaking.她说话出了名地直截了当。
- To be blunt, your work is appalling.坦率地说，你的活儿干得糟透了。
Synonyms honest
honestfrank ▪ direct ▪ open ▪ outspoken ▪ straight ▪ bluntThese words all describe people saying exactly what they mean without trying to hide feelings, opinions or facts.
honest not hiding the truth about something:
Thank you for being so honest with me.感谢你对我这么坦诚。
frank honest in what you say, sometimes in a way that other people might not like:
To be frank with you, I think your son has little chance of passing the exam.坦诚相告，我认为你的儿子不大可能通过考试。
direct saying exactly what you mean in a way that nobody can pretend not to understand:
You’ll have to get used to his direct manner.你得慢慢习惯他这种直率的方式。
Being direct is sometimes considered positive but sometimes it is used as a ‘polite’ way of saying that somebody is rude.open (approving) (of a person) not keeping thoughts and feelings hidden:
He was quite open about his reasons for leaving.他对离开的原因完全未加隐瞒。
outspoken saying exactly what you think, even if this shocks or offends people:
She was outspoken in her criticism of the plan.她直言不讳批评该计划。
straight honest and direct:
I don’t think you’re being straight with me.我觉得你没跟我坦诚相见。
blunt saying exactly what you think without trying to be polite:
She has a reputation for blunt speaking.她说话出了名地直截了当。
which word?
- Honest and frank refer to what you say as much as how you say it:
  a(n) honest/frank admission of guilt.坦承有罪
  They are generally positive words, although it is possible to be too frank in a way that other people might not like. Direct, outspoken and blunt all describe somebody’s manner of saying what they think. Outspoken suggests that you are willing to shock people by saying what you believe to be right. Blunt and direct often suggest that you think honesty is more important than being polite. Open is positive and describes somebody’s character:
  I’m a very open person.我这个人非常坦诚直率。
Patterns
- honest/frank/direct/open/outspoken/straight about something
- honest/frank/direct/open/straight/blunt with somebody
- a(n) honest/direct/straight/blunt answer
- a frank/direct/blunt manner

Word OriginMiddle English (in the sense ‘dull, insensitive’): perhaps of Scandinavian origin and related to Old Norse blunda ‘shut the eyes’.

blunt

verb

/blʌnt/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they blunt	/blʌnt/ /blʌnt/
he / she / it blunts	/blʌnts/ /blʌnts/
past simple blunted	/ˈblʌntɪd/ /ˈblʌntɪd/
past participle blunted	/ˈblʌntɪd/ /ˈblʌntɪd/
-ing form blunting	/ˈblʌntɪŋ/ /ˈblʌntɪŋ/

blunt something to make something weaker or less effective削弱；降低；使降低效果
- Age hadn't blunted his passion for adventure.岁月没有冲淡他的冒险激情。
- Living alone in the country had blunted her wits.在乡下的独居生活使她的头脑不复敏锐。
blunt something to make a point or an edge less sharp使（尖端、刃）变钝

Word OriginMiddle English (in the sense ‘dull, insensitive’): perhaps of Scandinavian origin and related to Old Norse blunda ‘shut the eyes’.