Flinty: meaning, definitions and examples
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flinty
[ ˈflin(t)ē ]
character trait
Flinty describes someone who is stern, unyielding, or unsympathetic. It often refers to a person's demeanor or attitude, suggesting a hardness that can be likened to flint, a hard type of stone. When someone is described as flinty, they may be perceived as emotionally distant or harshly practical. This term can also relate to behavior that lacks warmth or compassion.
Synonyms
callous, cold, hard, stern, unyielding.
Examples of usage
- Her flinty gaze made it clear she would not back down.
- Despite his flinty exterior, he had a soft spot for animals.
- The flinty remarks during the meeting left everyone in shock.
Translations
Translations of the word "flinty" in other languages:
🇵🇹 duro como pedernal
- áspero
- frio
🇮🇳 चट्टानी
- कठोर
- सख्त
🇩🇪 hart
- steinern
- schroff
🇮🇩 keras
- batu
- kasar
🇺🇦 кам'яний
- твердий
- жорсткий
🇵🇱 kamienny
- twardy
- szorstki
🇯🇵 石のような
- 硬い
- 荒い
🇫🇷 dur
- pierreux
- rude
🇪🇸 duro
- piedroso
- áspero
🇹🇷 sert
- taş gibi
- kaba
🇰🇷 돌 같은
- 딱딱한
- 거친
🇸🇦 صلب
- صخري
- خشن
🇨🇿 tvrdý
- kamenný
- hrubý
🇸🇰 tvrdý
- kamenný
- hrubý
🇨🇳 坚硬的
- 石头一样的
- 粗糙的
🇸🇮 trd
- kamnit
- groba
🇮🇸 harður
- steinn
- grófur
🇰🇿 тас сияқты
- қатты
- қатал
🇬🇪 კამიერი
- მყარ
- ხისტი
🇦🇿 daş kimi
- sərt
- kobud
🇲🇽 duro
- piedroso
- áspero
Etymology
The word 'flinty' originates from the mid-14th century, derived from the Old English word 'flinta,' which refers to the hard rock flint. Flint has been used historically to create tools and weapons due to its sharp edges when fractured. As a descriptive term, 'flinty' began to be used metaphorically to describe individuals whose personalities show a similar hardness or unyielding nature. The transition from a physical descriptor to a character trait reflects the tendency of language to adapt and expand based on cultural associations with materials. By the 19th century, the word became more commonly associated with personality traits, suggesting an emotional distance akin to the unyielding nature of the stone itself.
Word Frequency Rank
At rank #27,966, this word represents specialized academic or technical vocabulary. It's less frequently encountered but may be valuable in specific contexts.
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