Definitions

dùn blunt; stupid

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The traditional character 鈍 is composed of the metal radical 金 and the phonetic component 屯, a structure which directly indicates its original meaning related to the physical quality of metal edges. Its core semantic field concerns a lack of sharpness or keenness, primarily describing blades or points that are not acute. Over time, this concrete sense of physical dullness extended metaphorically to describe mental qualities, such as a mind that is slow to comprehend or react, thereby encompassing both material and abstract forms of bluntness. The simplified form 钝 retains this same structural relationship, exchanging the complex metal radical 金 with its simpler variant 钅 while keeping the phonetic component 屯 unchanged.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这把刀很

Zhè bǎ dāo hěn dùn.

This knife is very dull.

他的反应有点迟

Tā de fǎnyìng yǒudiǎn chídùn.

His reaction is a bit slow.

器敲击并不安全。

Yòng dùnqì qiāojī bìng bù ānquán.

It's not safe to strike with a blunt instrument.

角大于九十度。

Dùnjiǎo dà yú jiǔshí dù.

An obtuse angle is greater than ninety degrees.

长期的孤独会让人感觉化。

Chángqī de gūdú huì ràng rén gǎnjué dùnhuà.

Prolonged loneliness can make one's feelings become numb.

他对批评有一种有益的感力。

Tā duì pīpíng yǒu yī zhǒng yǒuyì de dùngǎn lì.

He has a beneficial kind of resilience to criticism.

疼痛感由尖锐转为迟

Téngtòng gǎn yóu jiānruì zhuǎn wéi chídùn.

The sensation of pain changed from sharp to dull.

金属表面经过处理会发生化反应。

Jīnshǔ biǎomiàn jīngguò chǔlǐ huì fāshēng dùnhuà fǎnyìng.

The metal surface will undergo a passivation reaction after treatment.