1
: having an edge or point that is not sharp
scissors with blunt ends
was hit over the head with a blunt instrument
gave her bangs a blunt cut just above her eyebrows
2
a
: abrupt in speech or manner
She tends to be blunt.
a blunt refusal
b
: being straight to the point : direct
To be perfectly blunt, I don't think he can do it.
3
a
: slow or deficient in feeling : insensitive
… showing how blunt the eyes and ears of writers generally are …—
Norman Foerster
Norman Foerster
b
: obtuse (see obtuse sense 2a) in understanding or discernment : dull
his blunt mind
bluntly
adverb
bluntness
noun
blunted; blunting; blunts
: to make less sharp, definite, or forceful
an ax blunted from use
blunted their criticism by praising her enthusiasm
: to become blunt (see blunt entry 1)
: a cigar that has been hollowed out and filled with marijuana
Examples of blunt in a Sentence
Adjective
To be perfectly blunt, I find her annoying.
He was blunt about needing more privacy.
Verb
a weapon blunted by use
the mushy music blunted the effect of the movie's final tragic scene
Recent Examples on the Web
Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 16 June 2025
Prosecutors say Scott’s daughter was found lifeless and had suffered multiple blunt force injuries.
—Miami Herald, 14 June 2025
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 17 June 2025
Months later, Musk's bombastic plan to slash the bureaucracy has been blunted by a flurry of legal challenges that allege DOGE overstepped its authority, circumvented privacy laws, and disregarded protocols for shrinking the workforce.
—Stephen Fowler, NPR, 16 June 2025
Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2025
The sneakers feature multi-tone green denim, fire-orange stitching that mimics trichome-rich buds [those little orange hairs on the bud], and a tongue-in-cheek nod to Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam with the depiction of God and Adam passing a blunt.
—Cassell Ferere, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blunt
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
The post came just hours after the singer shared an image of what appeared to be his hand holding a burning blunt, as well as what appeared to be a back and forth with what appeared to be a now-former friend.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 16 June 2025
Prosecutors say Scott’s daughter was found lifeless and had suffered multiple blunt force injuries.
—Miami Herald, 14 June 2025
Verb
The emotional impact is so blunted that our only choice is to surrender to the booming spectacle of it all (Hans Zimmer, take the wheel), but even that proves difficult in a film that never quite solves how to handle the sameness of a 44-lap race.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 17 June 2025
Months later, Musk's bombastic plan to slash the bureaucracy has been blunted by a flurry of legal challenges that allege DOGE overstepped its authority, circumvented privacy laws, and disregarded protocols for shrinking the workforce.
—Stephen Fowler, NPR, 16 June 2025
Noun
In another, a patron threatened to hurt a staff member after he was told he was not allowed to sit at a desk and roll a blunt in the computer commons.
—Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2025
The sneakers feature multi-tone green denim, fire-orange stitching that mimics trichome-rich buds [those little orange hairs on the bud], and a tongue-in-cheek nod to Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam with the depiction of God and Adam passing a blunt.
—Cassell Ferere, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blunt
Cite this Entry
“Blunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blunt. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
blunt
1 of 2 adjective1
: slow or lacking in feeling or understanding
2
: having an edge or point that is not sharp
3
: abrupt in speech or manner
bluntly
adverb
bluntness
noun
blunt
2 of 2 verb
: to make or become less sharp
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share