blunt

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

v. t. dull, deaden, numb; moderate. —adj. dull; direct; brusque; undiplomatic, forthright. See bluntness, discourtesy, insensibility, moderation.

II

(Roget's IV) modif.

1. [Dull]

Syn. dull, unsharpened, unpointed, round; see dull 1 .

See Synonym Study at dull .

2. [Abrupt]

Syn. brusque, curt, bluff, gruff, candid, frank, direct, forthright, plain-spoken, outspoken, straightforward, unceremonious, undiplomatic, inconsiderate, thoughtless, tactless, impolite, rough, short; see also abrupt 2 , frank .

Syn.- blunt implies a candor and tactlessness that show little regard for another's feelings [ "You're a fool," was his blunt reply ] ; bluff suggests a coarse heartiness of manner and a good nature that causes the candor to seem inoffensive [ a bluff old gardener ] ; brusque implies apparent rudeness, as evidenced by abruptness of speech or behavior [ a brusque rejection ] ; curt suggests a terseness of expression that implies a lack of tact or courtesy [ a curt dismissal ] ; gruff suggests bad temper and roughness of speech and manner, connoting, in addition, a harshness or throatiness in utterance [ a gruff sergeant ] See also Synonym Study at dull .

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus)

I

v.

make dull, deaden, flatten, soften.

II

a.

1. dull rounded, unpointed.

2. frank candid, upfront, plainspoken, point-blank, straightforward, abrupt, brusque, gruff, curt, terse, direct, bluff.

ANT.: 1. sharp, pointed. 2. soft-pedaling, mealy-mouthed, subtle, gentle, euphemistic

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) I adjective 1. Not physically sharp or keen: dull. See SHARP. 2. Rudely unceremonious: abrupt, brief, brusque, crusty, curt, gruff, short, short-spoken. See ATTITUDE. II verb 1. To make or become less sharp-edged: dull, turn. Idiom: take the edge off. See SHARP. 2. To render less sensitive: benumb, deaden, desensitize, dull, numb. Idiom: take the edge off. See AWARENESS.