Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Very short and blunt: Describes an object, typically a cutting tool or a pointed item, that has become extremely shortened and dulled, often through excessive use or wear. It emphasizes a state of being not just dull, but also noticeably shortened from its original length.
   • Truncated and ineffective: Can describe something that is abruptly cut short, lacking a proper end or point, making it ineffective for its intended purpose.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Con dao này cùn cụt rồi, chẳng cắt được gì cả. (This knife is very short and blunt; it can't cut anything.)
  • Cây bút chì bị gãy cùn cụt. (The pencil is broken very short.)
  • Câu trả lời của anh ta cùn cụt và thiếu tôn trọng. (His answer was abrupt and disrespectful.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "cùn cụt" is often a more emphatic or descriptive form of "cùn" (dull) or "cụt" (short, truncated). It combines the ideas of both bluntness and severe shortening to create a stronger image.

Variants and Related Words

• Cùn (adj): Dull, blunt (primarily referring to loss of sharpness).

  • Lưỡi dao cùn. (A dull knife blade.)

• Cụt (adj): Shortened, cut off, truncated.

  • Cái đuôi cụt. (A docked/bobbed tail.)
  • Ngón tay cụt. (A severed/shortened finger.)

Synonyms

• Blunted: Made dull.
• Truncated: Shortened by cutting off the end.
• Stumpy: Short and thick.

Related Idioms

• Nói cộc lốc / nói cụt ngủn: To speak curtly or abruptly. While not using "cùn cụt" directly, it relates to the concept of "cụt" (cut short) in communication.
  • Đừng trả lời cộc lốc như thế! (Don't answer so curtly!)