bluntness

/ˈblʌntnəs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈblʌntnəs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈblənt-nəs/ (ame, mw)

bluntness — noun

1. speech that presents thoughts too directly and with too little care for other pe

1.名詞C2
釋義

speech that presents thoughts too directly and with too little care for other people's feelings

例句

Evelyn's bluntness during the meeting left two new interns close to tears.

collocation: bluntness during a meeting

Karim admired Sari's bluntness, even when Sari's advice stung.

同義詞
  • frankness

    more neutral and can sound positive; bluntness more often suggests causing hurt

  • candor

    emphasises open honesty, often in thoughtful or formal contexts

  • tactlessness

    stronger and more clearly critical, focusing on lack of social care

反義詞
  • tact

    care in choosing words so that people are not upset

  • diplomacy

    careful, controlled speech used to avoid conflict

  • sensitivity

    awareness of other people's feelings and reactions

文法句型

the bluntness of + noun

with bluntness

bluntness about + topic

用法筆記

This sense is often negative because it suggests a lack of tact. It commonly appears in patterns such as 'the bluntness of his reply' or 'bluntness about the budget'. Distinguish it from 'frankness', which is usually more neutral or approving.

常見錯誤

❌She answered me very bluntness.
✅She answered me very bluntly.
💡'Bluntness' is a noun; after a verb, use the adverb 'bluntly'.
❌His bluntness to the customer solved nothing.
✅His bluntness with the customer solved nothing.
💡This noun is usually described with 'with' when naming the person affected.

2. the state of having an edge or point that is no longer sharp

2.名詞C2
釋義

the state of having an edge or point that is no longer sharp

例句

The scissors' bluntness made even thin paper hard to cut neatly.

result pattern: bluntness made + object + hard to cut

Hui checked the knife's bluntness by seeing how badly it crushed tomatoes.

同義詞
  • dullness

    broader term that can also describe weak colour, sound, or interest

  • lack of sharpness

    plain descriptive phrase for the same physical condition

  • wear

    focuses on the damage process rather than the resulting condition

反義詞
  • sharpness

    the quality of having a keen edge or point

  • keenness

    slightly more formal term for sharp cutting quality

  • point

    focuses on the sharp end of an object rather than the whole condition

文法句型

the bluntness of + tool

bluntness at + point

check + noun + for bluntness

用法筆記

This sense is used for physical objects such as knives, scissors, razors, and needles. Distinguish it from 'dullness', which can also describe boring colours, weak sounds, or lack of interest; 'bluntness' here is only about an edge or point.

常見錯誤

❌The knife had many bluntnesses after one week.
✅The knife showed a lot of bluntness after one week.
💡This sense is normally uncountable.
❌We checked the bluntness from the blade before dinner.
✅We checked the bluntness of the blade before dinner.
💡Use 'of' to link this noun to the tool.