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
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
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
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
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
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