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

Choose the Right Synonym for obtuse

dull, blunt, obtuse mean not sharp, keen, or acute.

dull suggests a lack or loss of keenness, zest, or pungency.

a dull pain

a dull mind

blunt suggests an inherent lack of sharpness or quickness of feeling or perception.

a person of blunt sensibility

obtuse implies such bluntness as makes one insensitive in perception or imagination.

too obtuse to take the hint

Examples of obtuse in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

But the Dunne character’s binary, psychologically obtuse way of talking about survivors of abuse, essentially arguing that minutely observing their behavior can help adjudicate the truth of their claims, isn’t limited to his perspective as one character. —Alessa Dominguez, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2024

For each subtle, smart decision in one regard, there’s a glaring, obtuse decision elsewhere, which ultimately makes an adaptation that should broaden Taddeo’s audience into a series that may only be fully appreciated by those who’ve also read the book. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 13 Sep. 2024

And what determines what is complicated with such an obtuse law? —Martin Shenkman, Forbes, 10 Sep. 2024

Not an obtuse reference, but a keen one, to the 1977 Bollywood film Amar Akbar Anthony, about three Indian brothers separated at birth and raised in different religious communities. —Mallika Rao, Vulture, 8 Mar. 2024

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

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Kids Definition

obtuse

adjective

ob·​tuse äb-ˈt(y)üs 

obtuser; obtusest

1

: not pointed or sharp : blunt

2

a

: being between 90° and 180°

an obtuse angle

b

: having an obtuse angle

an obtuse triangle

3

: not quick or keen of understanding or feeling

obtuseness noun

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