钝 (dùn) - dull & blunt

钝Tone 4

dùn ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical:

丁恩

钝 · dùn

dull;

blunt;

stupid;

slow-witted;

not sharp

dullbluntstupid

Usage highlights

blunt knifeslow reactionblunt weapondull painstupid personblunt angle

Synonyms

  • 拙— clumsy, awkward
  • 愚— foolish, stupid
  • 笨— stupid, foolish

Antonyms

  • 锐— sharp, acute
  • 敏— quick, agile
  • 利— sharp, beneficial

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The knife is too blunt to cut meat (钝刀).
  • He is slow in understanding (反应迟钝).
  • This is a dull weapon (钝器).
  • The pencil tip has become blunt (铅笔钝了).

Collocations

  • blunt knife(钝刀)
  • slow reaction(迟钝)
  • blunt weapon(钝器)
  • dull pain(钝痛)
  • stupid person(钝人)
  • blunt angle(钝角)

Idioms

  • Slow-witted and clumsy(拙钝无能)
  • Dull and stupid(愚钝不堪)
  • Slow in speech and clumsy in expression(口钝辞拙)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese culture, sharpness is often associated with intelligence and quickness, while dullness implies slowness and lack of acuity.
  • The character appears in mathematical terminology as 钝角 (obtuse angle), contrasting with 锐角 (acute angle).
  • Historically used to describe weapons that are not sharp, extending metaphorically to mental capacity.

FAQ