1.
to become dull; to lose sharpness
For a blade or edge to lose its sharpness through use or neglect.
包丁の切れ味が鈍った。
The kitchen knife has gone dull.
使い続けるとハサミの刃が鈍る。
Scissors get dull if you keep using them.
長い間研いでいないので、刃がだいぶ鈍っている。
Since I haven't sharpened it in a long time, the blade has become quite dull.
2.
to weaken; to slow down; to deteriorate
For skills, senses, speed, or determination to decline or lose their edge. A figurative extension of the literal meaning.
勘が鈍る。
One's intuition weakens.
練習をサボると腕が鈍る。
If you skip practice, your skills deteriorate.
寒さで手の感覚が鈍って、うまくボタンが押せなかった。
My hands were so numb from the cold that I couldn't press the buttons properly.
鈍る is an intransitive godan verb. The transitive form is 鈍らせる (to make dull, to cause to weaken).
ASPECT (ている):
鈍っている describes the resulting state of being dull or weakened.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 刃が鈍る (a blade becomes dull)
- 勘が鈍る (intuition weakens)
- 腕が鈍る (skills deteriorate)
- 動きが鈍る (movements slow down)
- 感覚が鈍る (sensation becomes numb)
RELATED WORDS:
The adjective 鈍い (dull, slow) shares the same kanji. Compare with 鋭い (sharp) and 鋭くなる (to become sharp), which express the opposite direction.