bluntness
Speaking without tact
Bluntness is directness of speech without softening or tact.
Someone known for bluntness says what they mean plainly, even if it stings: Her bluntness about his cooking hurt his feelings.
The quality can be valued as honesty or criticized as rudeness, depending on context and audience.
The word extends from the physical sense of blunt—a blunt knife lacks a sharp edge, just as blunt speech lacks diplomatic edges.
Unguarded truthfulness
- franknessDirect, unguarded honesty
- forthrightnessQuality of being direct
- directnessQuality of being straightforward
- truthfulnessHabit of not lying
sincerity · openness · transparency · plainspokenness · straightforwardness · guilelessness · matter-of-factness · outspokenness
Lack of stimulation
- unsharpenedWithout a keen edge
- roundedHaving no sharp angles
- wornDamaged by use
- flatLacking vertical variation
obtuse · edgeless · smoothed · stubby · pointless · nicked · battered
Absence of social sensitivity
- brusquenessAbrupt, rude directness
- curtnessRudely brief speech
- gruffnessHarsh, rough manner
- abruptnessSudden, unexpected manner
insensitivity · harshness · discourtesy · impoliteness · indelicacy · crassness · boorishness · uncouthness
candor
Unguarded truthfulness
- franknessDirect, unguarded honesty
- forthrightnessQuality of being direct
- directnessQuality of being straightforward
truthfulness · sincerity · openness · transparency · plainspokenness · straightforwardness · guilelessness · matter-of-factness · outspokenness · plain-dealing
dullness
Lack of stimulation
- unsharpenedWithout a keen edge
- roundedHaving no sharp angles
- wornDamaged by use
flat · obtuse · edgeless · smoothed · stubby · pointless · nicked · battered
tactlessness
Absence of social sensitivity
- brusquenessAbrupt, rude directness
- curtnessRudely brief speech
- gruffnessHarsh, rough manner
abruptness · insensitivity · harshness · discourtesy · impoliteness · indelicacy · crassness · boorishness · uncouthness · inconsiderateness
- Get to the Pointcut to the chase, bottom line, in a nutshell, spit it out, long story short
- sinceritysincerity, sincere, genuine, genuineness, honesty
- assertivenessassertiveness, boldness, directness, speaking up, firmness
- Blunt honestycandid, direct, frank, honest, forthright
- brevitybrevity, concise, succinct, terse, pithy
- candorfrankness, directness, candor, straightforwardness, openness
bluntnessindirection
Roundabout method or approach
circuitousness · tact · diplomacy · tactfulness · circumlocution
bluntnesssharpness
Keenness of edge, mind, or image
keenness · pointedness · acuteness · fineness · fine edge
bluntnessdissimulation
Concealing true feelings
dissembling · deceptiveness · hypocrisy · artifice · duplicity
blunt, bluntly, blunted, blunter, bluntest, blunting, unblunted