Blunts

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /blʌnts/

Definitions

1. Reduces the sharpness of an object or edge ; decreases the strength or intensity of a sensation or emotion
2. Causes a blade or point to become less keen or effective ; lessens the impact or vividness of a feeling or response
3. Makes a cutting edge or tip less pointed and more rounded ; softens or weakens the force of an impression or experience

Etymology: Blunts is the third-person singular form of the verb "blunt," which Middle English inherited as "blunten" from the adjective. The adjective itself is probably of North Germanic origin and may be linked to Old Norse "blunda," meaning "to shut the eyes" or "to doze," and so to the same family as "blind," which is found in Swedish "blunda" and Danish "blunde." The connection is a striking one: a word about dullness may trace back to the idea of closing one's eyes. The sense of "not sharp" came with a neat twist in military language. Scandinavian and German soldiers used "blind" for a dummy round or grenade, one that lacked a live charge, and set it against "skarp," meaning "live," literally "sharp." A blunt object, then, was one that had lost its edge, much as a blind shot lacked its power to kill.

Synonyms: dull, deaden

Antonyms: sharpen, intensify