blunt
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++blunt1 /blʌnt/ ●○○ adjective 1 SHARPnot sharp or pointed 钝的，不锋利的，不尖的 OPP sharp Sharpen all your blunt knives. 把你所有的钝刀子都磨一磨。 a blunt pencil 钝铅笔2 HONESTspeaking in an honest way even if this upsets people 〔说话〕不客气的，直言不讳的，耿直的 → bluntly To be blunt, many of the candidates cannot read or write. 说得不客气一点，很多申请人都不会读写。 Julian’s blunt words hurt her. 朱利安一番唐突的话伤害了她。► see thesaurus at honest3 blunt instrument a) a heavy object that is used to hit someone 钝器 The victim suffered a blow to the head from a blunt instrument. 受害人头部遭到钝器袭击。 b) a method of doing something that does not work very well because it has a lot of other effects that you do not want 无效的方法 The exams are a blunt instrument that will reveal little about children’s abilities. 考试并不是有效的方法，它不大能反映孩子的能力。 —bluntness noun [uncountable]
Examples from the Corpus
blunt• Call her candid, a straight shooter, rather than blunt.• Yet he was cagey and knew when to be blunt.• Maria can be very blunt and sometimes shocks people who don't know her well.• His poems can be awkward and blunt but you feel any revision has been towards truth rather than beauty.• blunt criticism• These lads were the blunt end of a much nastier problem.• You don't have to be madly blunt in a political sense.• Police say the victim was hit with a blunt instrument, possibly a hammer.• After a while they kidnap and murder a young boy for kicks, bashing him over the head with a blunt instrument.• I'll be blunt. It's just not going to work.• His response was a blunt "no."• The victim was hit on the head with a blunt object.• I cut myself shaving with a blunt razor.• It's difficult to achieve a good result if you use blunt tools.blunt2 verb [transitive] 1 WEAKto make a feeling less strong 减弱〔情感〕 OPP sharpen The bad weather blunted their enthusiasm for camping. 糟糕的天气冲淡了他们去露营的热情。2. SHARPto make the point of a pencil or the edge of a knife less sharp 把〔铅笔尖或刀刃〕弄钝 OPP sharpen→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
blunt• His senses were blunted by the whiskey.• Perhaps his arid years in suburbia had blunted his ability to love and be loved.• I slotted in well, but all that vending blunted my edges and did my head in.• That blunts performance and hits fuel economy.• The latest bombing has blunted residents' hopes for peace.• The alcohol had blunted the need for violence, but hadn't removed it.• Methodological difficulties have, however, blunted the phenomenological critique.• While the scene is meant to scare us, it also contains a built-in warning device that blunts the shock.• The sickening feel of woollen gloves being pulled on to your hands and hitting and blunting your fingertips so touch was lost.Origin blunt1 (1200-1300) Perhaps from Old Norse blundr “sleeping”blunt1 adjectiveblunt2 verbChinese
or pointed not Corpus sharp
Blunt
Blunt, Anthony 
(1907–1983) a British man who was an art historian and director of the Courtauld Institute of Art. In 1979 it was found out that he was a spy for the Soviet Union when he was a student and during World War II, when he worked in British Intelligence
Blunt, James /blʌnt, dʒeɪmz/
(1974-) a British pop singer and former soldier in the British Army whose songs include High (2004), You're Beautiful, and 1973 (2007)
| I |
(1907–1983) a British man who was an art historian and director of the Courtauld Institute of Art. In 1979 it was found out that he was a spy for the Soviet Union when he was a student and during World War II, when he worked in British Intelligence
| II |
(1974-) a British pop singer and former soldier in the British Army whose songs include High (2004), You're Beautiful, and 1973 (2007)
blunt
blunt1 /blʌnt/ adjective
OPP sharp:
Sharpen all your blunt knives.
a blunt pencil
2. speaking in an honest way even if this upsets people ⇨ bluntly:
To be blunt, many of the candidates cannot read or write.
Julian’s blunt words hurt her.
3. blunt instrument
a. a heavy object that is used to hit someone:
The victim suffered a blow to the head from a blunt instrument.
b. a method of doing something that does not work very well because it has a lot of other effects that you do not want:
The exams are a blunt instrument that will reveal little about children’s abilities.
—bluntness noun [uncountable]
blunt2 verb [transitive]
1. to make a feeling less strong
OPP sharpen:
The bad weather blunted their enthusiasm for camping.
2. to make the point of a pencil or the edge of a knife less sharp
OPP sharpen
| I |
adjective Date: 1200-1300
Origin: Perhaps from Old Norse blundr 'sleeping'
1. not sharp or pointed Origin: Perhaps from Old Norse blundr 'sleeping'
OPP sharp:
2. speaking in an honest way even if this upsets people ⇨ bluntly:
3. blunt instrument
a. a heavy object that is used to hit someone:
b. a method of doing something that does not work very well because it has a lot of other effects that you do not want:
—bluntness noun [uncountable]
| II |
verb [transitive]1. to make a feeling less strong
OPP sharpen:
2. to make the point of a pencil or the edge of a knife less sharp
OPP sharpen
honest not hiding the truth about sth 指坦率的、坦诚的 ：◆ 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 指坦率的、直率的（有时可能不讨人喜欢） ：◆ To be frank with you, I think your son has little chance of passing the exam. 坦白说，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 指直接的、直率的、坦率的 ：◆ You'll have to get used to his direct manner. 你得慢慢习惯他这种直率的方式。 NOTE Being direct is sometimes considered positive but sometimes it is used as a 'polite' way of saying that sb is rude.* direct 有时被认为含褒义，但有时是以礼貌的方式表示某人有些粗鲁。 open ( (of a person) not keeping thoughts and feelings hidden指为人诚恳的、坦诚的、直率的 ：◆ 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 指直率的、坦诚的、直言不讳的 ：◆ She was outspoken in her criticism of the plan. 她对该计划的批评直言不讳。 straight honest and direct 指坦诚的、直率的 ：◆ 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 指嘴直的、直言不讳的 ：◆ She has a reputation for blunt speaking. 她说话出了名的直截了当。
which word? 词语辨析
Honest andfrank refer towhat you say as much ashow you say it.* honest 和 frank 既形容说话方式，也指说话内容 ：◆ 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 andblunt all describe sb'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 anddirect often suggest that you think honesty is more important than being polite.Open is positive and describes sb's character.这两个词通常用作褒义词，但有时也可能指过于直率而使人不快。direct、outspoken 和 blunt 均指说话直截，其中 outspoken 表示宁可冒犯他人也要直抒己见；blunt 和 direct 常表示说话人认为诚实比礼貌重要；open 含褒义，用来形容人的性格 ：◆ I'm a very open person. 我这个人非常坦诚直率。
Patterns
honest/frank/direct/open/outspoken/straight about sthhonest/frank/direct/open/straight/blunt with sba(n) honest/direct/straight/blunt answer a frank/direct/blunt manner