obtuse

adjective

ob·tuse äb-ˈtüs How to pronounce obtuse (audio)

əb-,

-ˈtyüs

obtuser; obtusest

: not pointed or acute : blunt

b(1)

of an angle : exceeding 90 degrees but less than 180 degrees

(2)

: having an obtuse angle

an obtuse triangle

see triangle illustration

of a leaf : rounded at the free end

: lacking sharpness or quickness of sensibility or intellect : insensitive, stupid

He is too obtuse to take a hint.

: difficult to comprehend : not clear or precise in thought or expression

It is also, unfortunately, ill-written, and at times obtuse and often trivial.

Shirley Hazzard

obtusely adverb

obtuseness noun

Example Sentences

Murdoch's art, like all good art, is highly structured and controlled—a house neat and clean enough to satisfy the most morally obtuse of her upper-class British characters.

Martha C. Nussbaum, New Republic, 31 Dec. 2001 & 7 Jan. 2002 Only the most obtuse missed the main message: humans risked so distorting the natural order that they were sentencing themselves to be destroyed by frost or furnace.

Joseph A. Amato, Dust, 2000 In fact, he was too obtuse even to realize that his assignment to Tejas was a demotion …

James A. Michener, Texas, 1985 … either he, and the other people in his shop, and two people I subsequently ask are incapable of giving directions, or I am too rattled and obtuse to follow them, but I cannot find the police station.

Renata Adler, Pitch Dark, 1983 He is too obtuse to take a hint. obtuse scissors designed so that young users will not cut themselves See More

Recent Examples on the Web Perhaps this sounds benign in the obtuse verbiage of technocracy.

Oren Cass, CNN, 15 Sep. 2022 As the number of murders climbs, Dupin finds multiple motives among the scholarly suspects, all of whom are being frustratingly obtuse with investigators.

Karen Macpherson, Washington Post, 23 Aug. 2022 Typically obtuse, Buzz misses a fairly important development on his fellow explorers’ adoptive planet, which is that it has been overtaken by an army of alien robots led by the hulking Zurg (James Brolin).

Kyle Smith, WSJ, 16 June 2022 This was an obtuse and unpoetic diktat, a showy way to miss the fact that a song’s history—its use over time, by real people, inspired by the exigencies of ritual and action—can inform its meaning more than its mere lyrics ever could.

Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 15 July 2022 The relocation to Italy eliminates Barb’s already infrequent voice and temporarily replaces Ethan’s narrative perspective with that of Izzy, a tour guide whose name was foreshadowed a couple times in Ethan’s obtuse recollections.

Cory Oldweiler, BostonGlobe.com, 14 July 2022 While not taking obtuse shots at J.D. Power's methods, in interviews its leadership would suggest the company's hard data, not colored by human perception or brand bias, was much more accurate than consumer surveys.

Ed Garsten, Forbes, 6 June 2022 In such light, Saban’s words are perhaps more obtuse than overtly offensive.

Roy S. Johnson | Rjohnson@al.com, al, 24 May 2022 Where Mungiu’s layered storytelling doesn’t quite work is in a finale so suggestive as to remain more or less obtuse, which is unfortunate because until then, R.M.N. was building toward something powerful.

Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 May 2022 See More

obtuse

adjective

as in blunt

lacking sharpness of edge or point obtuse scissors designed so that young users will not cut themselves

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

blunt
blunted
dull
dulled
flattened
rounded
dullish
smooth
even
level
flat

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sharp
edgy
pointed
jagged
keen
spiky
edged
cutting
ground
honed
prickly
spiny
sharpened
needlelike
spiked
scratching
spikelike
piercing
spikey
whetted
lacerating
jabbing
stabbing
ultrasharp

as in stupid

not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily forgive me for being obtuse, but I wish you'd explain that to me again

Synonyms & Similar Words

stupid
dumb
slow
simple
thick
dense
ignorant
idiotic
dull
thickheaded
foolish
fatuous
vacuous
unintelligent
doltish
opaque
dunderheaded
boneheaded
dopey
silly
pinheaded
irrational
witless
unreasonable
lamebrain
airheaded
bonehead
gormless
oafish
insane
brainless
dim-witted
senseless
softheaded
soft
moronic
dim
dorky
mindless
mad
thick-witted
lunkheaded
brain-dead
chuckleheaded
knuckleheaded
crazy
slow-witted
absurd
empty-headed
lamebrained
half-witted
bubbleheaded
unsmart
idiotical
dopy
simpleminded
uninformed
cretinous
imbecile
weak-minded
uneducated
illogical
birdbrained
lunatic
feebleminded
unintellectual
asinine
daft
nonsensical
illiterate
fool
unthinking
imbecilic
zany
lowbrow
dippy
untaught
preposterous
daffy
wacky
looney
unwise
fallacious
nutty
kooky
loony
sappy
screwball
invalid
tomfool
whacky
harebrained
dotty
cuckoo
cockeyed
crackpot
half-baked
boobish
balmy
featherheaded
kookie

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

clever
brilliant
intelligent
acute
sharp
apt
ingenious
smart
bright
quick
brainy
astute
nimble
insightful
resourceful
perceptive
keen
cerebral
wise
sagacious
erudite
fast
savvy
thinking
intellectual
knowledgeable
literate
keen
discerning
perspicacious
knowing
skilled
quick-witted
cunning
sharp-witted
shrewd
scholarly
learned
hyperintelligent
informed
sage
ultrasmart
wily
educated
supersmart
reasonable
sensible
highbrow
sound
logical
sapient
rational
crafty
trained
prudent
percipient
sane
judicious
valid
well-read
schooled
foxy

Synonym Chooser

The words blunt and dull are common synonyms of obtuse. While all three words mean "not sharp, keen, or acute," obtuse implies such bluntness as makes one insensitive in perception or imagination.

too obtuse to take the hint

The synonyms blunt and obtuse are sometimes interchangeable, but blunt suggests an inherent lack of sharpness or quickness of feeling or perception.

a person of blunt sensibility

The words dull and obtuse are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, dull suggests a lack or loss of keenness, zest, or pungency.

a dull pain

a dull mind

单词	obtuse
释义	obtuse adjective ob·tuse äb-ˈtüs əb-, -ˈtyüs obtuser; obtusest 1 a : not pointed or acute : blunt b(1) of an angle : exceeding 90 degrees but less than 180 degrees (2) : having an obtuse angle an obtuse triangle see triangle illustration c of a leaf : rounded at the free end 2 a : lacking sharpness or quickness of sensibility or intellect : insensitive, stupid He is too obtuse to take a hint. b : difficult to comprehend : not clear or precise in thought or expression It is also, unfortunately, ill-written, and at times obtuse and often trivial. Shirley Hazzard obtusely adverb obtuseness noun Did you know? Obtuse vs. Abstruse Obtuse comes from a Latin word meaning "dull" or "blunt." It can describe a geometric angle that is not acute or a person who is mentally "dull." In addition, obtuse can mean "hard to comprehend." That meaning is probably from confusion with the similar-sounding abstruse. Synonyms blunt blunted dull dulled See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Murdoch's art, like all good art, is highly structured and controlled—a house neat and clean enough to satisfy the most morally obtuse of her upper-class British characters. Martha C. Nussbaum, New Republic, 31 Dec. 2001 & 7 Jan. 2002 Only the most obtuse missed the main message: humans risked so distorting the natural order that they were sentencing themselves to be destroyed by frost or furnace. Joseph A. Amato, Dust, 2000 In fact, he was too obtuse even to realize that his assignment to Tejas was a demotion … James A. Michener, Texas, 1985 … either he, and the other people in his shop, and two people I subsequently ask are incapable of giving directions, or I am too rattled and obtuse to follow them, but I cannot find the police station. Renata Adler, Pitch Dark, 1983 He is too obtuse to take a hint. obtuse scissors designed so that young users will not cut themselves See More Recent Examples on the Web Perhaps this sounds benign in the obtuse verbiage of technocracy. Oren Cass, CNN, 15 Sep. 2022 As the number of murders climbs, Dupin finds multiple motives among the scholarly suspects, all of whom are being frustratingly obtuse with investigators. Karen Macpherson, Washington Post, 23 Aug. 2022 Typically obtuse, Buzz misses a fairly important development on his fellow explorers’ adoptive planet, which is that it has been overtaken by an army of alien robots led by the hulking Zurg (James Brolin). Kyle Smith, WSJ, 16 June 2022 This was an obtuse and unpoetic diktat, a showy way to miss the fact that a song’s history—its use over time, by real people, inspired by the exigencies of ritual and action—can inform its meaning more than its mere lyrics ever could. Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 15 July 2022 The relocation to Italy eliminates Barb’s already infrequent voice and temporarily replaces Ethan’s narrative perspective with that of Izzy, a tour guide whose name was foreshadowed a couple times in Ethan’s obtuse recollections. Cory Oldweiler, BostonGlobe.com, 14 July 2022 While not taking obtuse shots at J.D. Power's methods, in interviews its leadership would suggest the company's hard data, not colored by human perception or brand bias, was much more accurate than consumer surveys. Ed Garsten, Forbes, 6 June 2022 In such light, Saban’s words are perhaps more obtuse than overtly offensive. Roy S. Johnson \| Rjohnson@al.com, al, 24 May 2022 Where Mungiu’s layered storytelling doesn’t quite work is in a finale so suggestive as to remain more or less obtuse, which is unfortunate because until then, R.M.N. was building toward something powerful. Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 May 2022 See More Word History Etymology Middle English, from Latin obtusus blunt, dull, from past participle of obtundere to beat against, blunt, from ob- against + tundere to beat — more at ob-, contusion First Known Use 15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Kids Definition obtuse adjective ob·tuse äb-ˈtüs -ˈtyüs 1 : measuring more than a right angle 2 : not able to understand something obvious Medical Definition obtuse adjective ob·tuse äb-ˈt(y)üs, əb- obtuser; obtusest 1 : lacking sharpness or quickness of sensibility or intellect 2 : not pointed or acute obtuse pain obtuse adjective 1 as in blunt lacking sharpness of edge or point obtuse scissors designed so that young users will not cut themselves Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance blunt blunted dull dulled flattened rounded dullish smooth even level flat Antonyms & Near Antonyms sharp edgy pointed jagged keen spiky edged cutting ground honed prickly spiny sharpened needlelike spiked scratching spikelike piercing spikey whetted lacerating jabbing stabbing ultrasharp See More 2 as in stupid not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily forgive me for being obtuse, but I wish you'd explain that to me again Synonyms & Similar Words stupid dumb slow simple thick dense ignorant idiotic dull thickheaded foolish fatuous vacuous unintelligent doltish opaque dunderheaded boneheaded dopey silly pinheaded irrational witless unreasonable lamebrain airheaded bonehead gormless oafish insane brainless dim-witted senseless softheaded soft moronic dim dorky mindless mad thick-witted lunkheaded brain-dead chuckleheaded knuckleheaded crazy slow-witted absurd empty-headed lamebrained half-witted bubbleheaded unsmart idiotical dopy simpleminded uninformed cretinous imbecile weak-minded uneducated illogical birdbrained lunatic feebleminded unintellectual asinine daft nonsensical illiterate fool unthinking imbecilic zany lowbrow dippy untaught preposterous daffy wacky looney unwise fallacious nutty kooky loony sappy screwball invalid tomfool whacky harebrained dotty cuckoo cockeyed crackpot half-baked boobish balmy featherheaded kookie Antonyms & Near Antonyms clever brilliant intelligent acute sharp apt ingenious smart bright quick brainy astute nimble insightful resourceful perceptive keen cerebral wise sagacious erudite fast savvy thinking intellectual knowledgeable literate keen discerning perspicacious knowing skilled quick-witted cunning sharp-witted shrewd scholarly learned hyperintelligent informed sage ultrasmart wily educated supersmart reasonable sensible highbrow sound logical sapient rational crafty trained prudent percipient sane judicious valid well-read schooled foxy See More Synonym Chooser The words blunt and dull are common synonyms of obtuse. While all three words mean "not sharp, keen, or acute," obtuse implies such bluntness as makes one insensitive in perception or imagination. too obtuse to take the hint The synonyms blunt and obtuse are sometimes interchangeable, but blunt suggests an inherent lack of sharpness or quickness of feeling or perception. a person of blunt sensibility The words dull and obtuse are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, dull suggests a lack or loss of keenness, zest, or pungency. a dull pain a dull mind
随便看	cabbage fly cabbage green cabbage gum cabbage lettuce cabbage looper cabbage maggot cabbage moth cabbage palm cabbage palmetto cabbage rose cabbage seedpod weevil cabbage snake cabbage tree cabbage webworm cabbage wilt cabbage worm cabbage yellows cabbage-bark tree cabbage-leaf miner cabbage-root fly cabbage-tree hat cabbaged cabbagehead cabbagehead jellyfish cabbages

obtuse

adjective

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Kids Definition

adjective

Medical Definition

adjective

adjective

Synonym Chooser