Brief vs. Blunt — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Brief and Blunt
ADVERTISEMENT
Definitions
Brief
Short in time, duration, length, or extent.
Blunt
Having a dull edge or end; not sharp.
Brief
Succinct; concise
A brief account of the incident.
Blunt
Abrupt and often disconcertingly frank in speech
"People [in the Western US] are blunt with one another, sometimes even cruel, believing honesty is stronger medicine than sympathy" (Gretel Ehrlich).
Brief
Curt; abrupt
We were upset because he was so brief with us.
ADVERTISEMENT
Blunt
Stark; unadorned
"The blunt truth ... is that he is devoid of political courage" (Jeff Jacoby).
Brief
A short, succinct statement.
Blunt
Slow to perceive, understand, or feel; dull or insensitive
"I felt blunt with shock when I heard the news" (Sallie Bingham).
Brief
A condensation or an abstract of a larger document or series of documents.
Blunt
To dull the edge of (a knife, for example).
ADVERTISEMENT
Brief
(Law) A document concisely stating the legal points being made, including often the citation and explanation of supporting legal authority.
Blunt
To make less effective; weaken
Blunting the criticism with a smile.
Brief
Roman Catholic Church A papal letter that is not as formal as a bull.
Blunt
To become blunt
When the scraper blade blunts, you will have to replace it.
Brief
A briefing.
Blunt
A cigar whose interior has been hollowed out and filled with marijuana.
Brief
Often briefs Short, tight-fitting underpants.
Blunt
A marijuana cigarette that has been rolled in a cigar's tobacco leaf wrapper instead of rolling paper.
Brief
Briefs Chiefly British The instructions that are given to explain a task or assignment.
Blunt
Having a thick edge or point; not sharp.
Brief
To give instructions or preparatory information to
Briefed the astronauts before the mission.
Blunt
Dull in understanding; slow of discernment; opposed to acute.
Brief
To summarize.
Blunt
Abrupt in address; plain; unceremonious; wanting the forms of civility; rough in manners or speech.
The blunt admission that he had never liked my company.
Brief
Of short duration; happening quickly.
Her reign was brief but spectacular.
Blunt
Hard to impress or penetrate.
Brief
Concise; taking few words.
His speech of acceptance was brief but moving.
Blunt
Slow or deficient in feeling: insensitive.
Brief
Occupying a small distance, area or spatial extent; short.
Her skirt was extremely brief but doubtless cool.
Blunt
A fencer's practice foil with a soft tip.
Brief
(obsolete) Rife; common; prevalent.
Blunt
A short needle with a strong point.
Brief
(legal) A writ summoning one to answer; an official letter or mandate.
Blunt
A marijuana cigar.
Brief
(legal) An answer to any action.
Blunt
Money
Brief
(legal) A memorandum of points of fact or of law for use in conducting a case.
Blunt
A playboating move resembling a cartwheel performed on a wave.
Brief
A position of interest or advocacy.
Blunt
To dull the edge or point of, by making it thicker; to make blunt.
Brief
(legal) An attorney's legal argument in written form for submission to a court.
Blunt
(figuratively) To repress or weaken; to impair the force, keenness, or susceptibility, of
It blunted my appetite.
My feeling towards her have been blunted.
Brief
(English law) The material relevant to a case, delivered by a solicitor to the barrister who tries the case.
Blunt
Having a thick edge or point, as an instrument; dull; not sharp.
The murderous knife was dull and blunt.
Brief
A short news story or report.
We got a news brief.
Blunt
Dull in understanding; slow of discernment; stupid; - opposed to acute.
His wits are not so blunt.
Brief
Underwear briefs.
I wear boxers under trousers but for sports I usually wear a brief.
Blunt
Abrupt in address; plain; unceremonious; wanting the forms of civility; rough in manners or speech.
Brief
(obsolete) A summary, précis or epitome; an abridgement or abstract.
Blunt
Hard to impress or penetrate.
I find my heart hardened and blunt to new impressions.
Brief
A letter patent, from proper authority, authorizing a collection or charitable contribution of money in churches, for any public or private purpose.
Blunt
To dull the edge or point of, by making it thicker; to make blunt.
Brief
(slang) A ticket of any type.
Blunt
To repress or weaken, as any appetite, desire, or power of the mind; to impair the force, keenness, or susceptibility, of; as, to blunt the feelings.
Brief
(transitive) To summarize a recent development to some person with decision-making power.
The U.S. president was briefed on the military coup and its implications on African stability.
Blunt
A fencer's foil.
Brief
To write a legal argument and submit it to a court.
Blunt
A short needle with a strong point. See Needle.
Brief
Briefly.
Blunt
Money.
Brief
Soon; quickly.
Blunt
Make less intense;
Blunted emotions
Brief
Short in duration.
How brief the life of man.
Blunt
Make numb or insensitive;
The shock numbed her senses
Brief
Concise; terse; succinct.
The brief style is that which expresseth much in little.
Blunt
Make dull or blunt;
Too much cutting dulls the knife's edge
Brief
Rife; common; prevalent.
Blunt
Make less sharp;
Blunt the knives
Brief
Briefly.
Adam, faltering long, thus answered brief.
Blunt
Make less lively, intense, or vigorous; impair in vigor, force, activity, or sensation;
Terror blunted her feelings
Deaden a sound
Brief
Soon; quickly.
Blunt
Having a broad or rounded end;
Thick marks made by a blunt pencil
Brief
A short concise writing or letter; a statement in few words.
Bear this sealed brief,With winged hastle, to the lord marshal.
And she told meIn a sweet, verbal brief.
Blunt
Used of a knife or other blade; not sharp;
A blunt instrument
Brief
An epitome.
Each woman is a brief of womankind.
Blunt
Characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion;
Blunt talking and straight shooting
A blunt New England farmer
I gave them my candid opinion
Forthright criticism
A forthright approach to the problem
Tell me what you think--and you may just as well be frank
It is possible to be outspoken without being rude
Plainspoken and to the point
A point-blank accusation
Brief
An abridgment or concise statement of a client's case, made out for the instruction of counsel in a trial at law. This word is applied also to a statement of the heads or points of a law argument.
It was not without some reference to it that I perused many a brief.
Blunt
Devoid of any qualifications or disguise or adornment;
The blunt truth
The crude facts
Facing the stark reality of the deadline
Brief
A writ issuing from the chancery, directed to any judge ordinary, commanding and authorizing that judge to call a jury to inquire into the case, and upon their verdict to pronounce sentence.
Brief
A letter patent, from proper authority, authorizing a collection or charitable contribution of money in churches, for any public or private purpose.
Brief
A type of men's underpants without legs, fitting tightly and held by an elastic waistband; also called Jockey shorts.
Brief
To make an abstract or abridgment of; to shorten; as, to brief pleadings.
Brief
A document stating the facts and points of law of a client's case
Brief
A condensed written summary or abstract
Brief
Give essential information to someone;
The reporters were briefed about the President's plan to invade
Brief
Of short duration or distance;
A brief stay in the country
In a little while
It's a little way away
Brief
Concise and succinct;
Covered the matter in a brief statement
Brief
(of clothing) very short;
An abbreviated swimsuit
A brief bikini
