obtuse

[ uhb-toos, -tyoos ]
/ əbˈtus, -ˈtyus /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR obtuse ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

not quick or alert in perception, feeling, or intellect; not sensitive or observant; dull.
not sharp, acute, or pointed; blunt in form.
(of a leaf, petal, etc.) rounded at the extremity.
indistinctly felt or perceived, as pain or sound.

Origin of obtuse

1500–10; < Latin obtūsus dulled (past participle of obtundere), equivalent to ob- ob- + tūd-, variant stem of tundere to beat + -tus past participle suffix, with dt > s

OTHER WORDS FROM obtuse

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH obtuse

abstruse obtuse

Words nearby obtuse

obturator crest, obturator foramen, obturator hernia, obturator nerve, obturator vein, obtuse, obtuse angle, obtuse bisectrix, obtuse triangle, obtusion, obuda

Words related to obtuseness

silliness, lunacy, apathy, ignorance, nonsense, idiocy, absurdity, blindness, oblivion, disregard, illiteracy, bewilderment, insensitivity, simplicity, stupor, stolidity, fatuity, weakness, ineptitude, insensibility

Example sentences from the Web for obtuseness

British Dictionary definitions for obtuseness

obtuse
/ (əbˈtjuːs) /

adjective

mentally slow or emotionally insensitive
maths
  1. (of an angle) lying between 90° and 180°
  2. (of a triangle) having one interior angle greater than 90°
not sharp or pointed
indistinctly felt, heard, etc; dull obtuse pain
(of a leaf or similar flat part) having a rounded or blunt tip

Derived forms of obtuse

obtusely, adverb obtuseness, noun

Word Origin for obtuse

C16: from Latin obtūsus dulled, past participle of obtundere to beat down; see obtund

Medical definitions for obtuseness

obtuse
[ ŏb-tōōs′, əb- ]

adj.

Lacking quickness of perception or intellect.
Not sharp or acute; blunt.