音読み: ドン
訓読み: にぶい・にぶる・なまる
画数: 12
部首: 金（かねへん）
Meaning
Dull / Blunt / Slow
- 鈍い — dull; blunt; slow
- 鈍る — to become dull; to lose sharpness
- 鈍感 — insensitivity; dullness of feeling
- 鈍器 — blunt instrument
- 鈍重 — heavy and slow; clumsy
- 鈍痛 — dull pain
- 鈍色 — dull gray (bluish iron color)
With the metal radical 金, this character evokes metal that has lost its edge— a blade that doesn’t bite. From there, it extends to “slow to react” or “insensitive” in feeling.
Think of a knife edge. 鋭 is razor-sharp. When that edge wears down, you feel 鈍—blunt, heavy, slow to cut. It’s the same with reactions and senses: sharp versus dull.
鈍感 — dullness of feeling; insensitivity