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

单词	obtuseness
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 obtuseness noun as in stupidity the quality or state of lacking intelligence or quickness of mind our guest's obtuseness was such that he failed to take even the broadest hint that it was time to leave Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance stupidity stupidness boneheadedness slowness dumbness dullness thickness witlessness foolishness oafishness dopiness mindlessness fatuity denseness brainlessness insanity weak-mindedness dorkiness dulness density senselessness idiocy vacuity doltishness simplicity simpleness fatuousness absurdity simplemindedness gormlessness feeblemindedness unreasonableness irrationality madness inanity daftness dim-wittedness preposterousness craziness wackiness dottiness asininity silliness zaniness nincompoopery lunacy folly nuttiness inaneness fallacy nonsensicalness balminess mental retardation mental deficiency dippiness Antonyms & Near Antonyms brilliance cleverness intelligence brightness perspicacity smartness astuteness quickness insight perception acumen keenness sharpness judgment judgement braininess alertness discernment quick-wittedness percipience sagacity wit wisdom rationality sapience reasonableness validity logicality soundness logicalness sageness rationalness See More
随便看	scourger scourgers scourges scourging scouring scouring barrel scouring cinder scouring rush scourings sics something on sics something on someone or something sicu sicula siculae Siculan sicular Siculi siculian Siculo- sicut patribus sit Deus nobis Sicyon Sicyonian Sicyos sid SID

obtuse

adjective

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Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Kids Definition

adjective

Medical Definition

adjective

noun