Standard Lemma guide

bluntly

adv · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈblʌntli/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: B L AH1 N T L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

In a blunt manner; without delicacy, or the usual forms of civility.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adverb

Meaning 2

in a blunt direct manner

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he spoke bluntly
  • he stated his opinion flat-out
  • he was criticized roundly

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bluffly, brusquely, flat out, roundly

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English blunt Middle English -ly English -ly English bluntly From blunt + -ly.

Across languages

Translations

15 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: suorasukaisesti — In a blunt manner
  • Finnish: kaunistelematta — In a blunt manner
  • French: abruptement — In a blunt manner
  • French: à brûle-pourpoint — In a blunt manner
  • French: sans ménagement — In a blunt manner
  • Georgian: უხეშად (uxešad) — In a blunt manner
  • Hungarian: nyersen — In a blunt manner
  • Hungarian: kerek perec — In a blunt manner
  • Norwegian Bokmål: bryskt — In a blunt manner
  • Polish: bez ogródek — In a blunt manner
  • Polish: bezceremonialnie — In a blunt manner
  • Russian: напрями́к (naprjamík) — In a blunt manner
  • Russian: напряму́ю (naprjamúju) — In a blunt manner
  • Russian: пря́мо (prjámo) — In a blunt manner
  • Spanish: sin ambages / circunloquio — In a blunt manner