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dull one's talents

[/dʌl wʌnz ˈtæləntس/]
verb phrase
obscurecer/embotar os seus talentos
1. to diminish, suppress, or fail to develop one's natural abilities or skills
By refusing to pursue further education, he dulled his talents and limited his potential.
Ao recusar-se a continuar seus estudos, ele obscureceu seus talentos e limitou seu potencial.
2. to make one's abilities less sharp or effective through neglect or misuse
Spending all day on social media dulled her talents for creative writing.
Passar o dia todo nas redes sociais embotou seus talentos para a escrita criativa.
NYC Slang
waste your game
Synonyms
suppress one's abilitieswaste one's talentsneglect one's giftsdiminish one's skills
Antonyms
sharpen one's talentsdevelop one's abilitiescultivate one's giftsenhance one's skills

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
obscurecer/embotar os seus talentos
standard usage across Brazil
Portugal
embaciar os seus talentos
alternative form commonly used in European Portuguese
General
desperdiçar os seus dons
alternative using 'dons' instead of 'talentos'

Related Idioms & Phrases

bury one's talents
hide one's light under a bushel
let one's talents rust
fail to live up to one's potential
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