curt implies disconcerting shortness or rude conciseness.
a curt command
crusty suggests a harsh or surly manner sometimes concealing an inner kindliness.
a crusty exterior
gruff suggests a hoarse or husky speech which may imply bad temper but more often implies embarrassment or shyness.
puts on a gruff pose
Example Sentences
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
Adjective
Both vehicles were driven by men who each suffered blunt force trauma as a result of the collision, police said. Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2022 The Fed’s tools to ease inflation’s burden on households and businesses are blunt, revolving around interest rate increases that make lending and investment more expensive. Rachel Siegel, Washington Post, 8 Sep. 2022 Junior running back Deshaun Fenwick was blunt in his assessment of the Beavers’ rushing attack against Boise State.oregonlive, 6 Sep. 2022 The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office determined his death was a homicide caused by blunt head trauma. Chris Harris, Peoplemag, 22 Aug. 2022 Oakland police are investigating a homicide after a man was found dead on a street early Sunday, with signs of blunt force trauma. Jessica Flores, San Francisco Chronicle, 21 Aug. 2022 Officers found Hart in the parking lot with blunt force trauma. Jodicee Arianna, The Arizona Republic, 19 Aug. 2022 The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office said the cause of death was blunt head trauma. Sarah Rumpf, Fox News, 18 Aug. 2022 Authorities said blunt force trauma was involved in the deaths of the woman and her grandson. Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, 5 Apr. 2022
Verb
Their proposals could limit the size of each company’s tax break, blunt their ability to play Oregon communities against one another and offer assistance to tiny communities in negotiating with trillion-dollar businesses.oregonlive, 8 Sep. 2022 In Ethiopia and across the Horn of Africa, UNICEF is working with partners to deliver lifesaving assistance and blunt the drought's many impacts. Maryanne Murray Buechner, Forbes, 18 Aug. 2022 Or maybe the lessons their stories teach needed to be more obvious, repeatedly telegraphed and so blunt that watching the film becomes a test of endurance instead of entertainment — kind of like The Princess. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 July 2022 At a summit of the Group of Seven leading economies this week, the U.S. pushed for a price cap on Russian oil imports to try to blunt the price spikes and reduce money from oil sales flowing into the Kremlin’s war chest. Cathy Busswitz, USA TODAY, 30 June 2022 If the funding is secured, a senior administration official told reporters Friday that the country will be better prepared to blunt the effects of the surge and keep hospitalization and death rates low. Bymary Kekatos, ABC News, 9 May 2022 Efforts to get tickets into hands of people who can’t afford them will blunt some of the pain. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Aug. 2022 Kentucky blunt worsening flooding and save towns and homes? Olivia Krauth, The Courier-Journal, 24 Aug. 2022 To wit, a signature Senate antitrust bill that would blunt the power of tech behemoths, largely by barring companies from preferencing their own products and services on their platforms, gained steam in recent months. Jacob Carpenter, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2022
Noun
Notice only the good guys receive the blunt of these boondoggles!Chicago Tribune, 9 Sep. 2022 This neo-soul singer/rapper tells their stories in both a blunt and a tender way. Haben Kelati, Washington Post, 7 Sep. 2022 While searching Dereck’s car, police found not only a blunt but also California medical marijuana cards belonging to him and his girlfriend. Nick Sibilla, Forbes, 15 Aug. 2022 McClellan was found asleep in his car at a gas station with a marijuana blunt in the ashtray and an empty liquor bottle in the passenger seat. Andrew Wimer, Forbes, 17 Aug. 2022 Maybe that will hit the shelves later, sort of an homage to Yasgur’s Farm and Ted Williams, all in one smooth, delicious blunt. Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 30 July 2022 The artist, born Maria Kelly, starts our call with a blunt held between her index and forefinger, laughing in the passenger seat. Melanie Curry, ELLE, 23 July 2022 The inaugural box offers a Live Resin vape, called Jeeter Juice, along with a Liquid Diamonds cartridge, Baby Jeeter joints, and a blunt. Lindsey Bartlett, Forbes, 6 July 2022 Crespo, a blunt and animated 49-year-old, was among the last dozen people to leave Sullivan Arena, which closed Thursday after nearly 2 1/2 years of use as a large-scale homeless shelter. Michelle Theriault Boots, Anchorage Daily News, 1 July 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English blont, of uncertain origin
Verb
Middle English blonten, verbal derivative of blontblunt entry 1
Noun
from blunt "a short, thick cigar," noun derivative of blunt entry 1