Nov 4, 2011 · There’s a lot to understand about obtuse, so we’ll get straight to the point. Obtuse comes from a Latin word, obtusus, meaning “dull” or “blunt.”

OBTUSE definition: not quick or alert in perception, feeling, or intellect; not sensitive or observant; dull. See examples of obtuse used in a sentence.

He has been obtuse, difficult, totally irrational and unreasonable to the detriment of the whole of his country.

Someone who is obtuse has difficulty understanding things, or makes no effort to understand them. I've really been very obtuse and stupid.

1. not quick or alert in perception, feeling, or intellect; insensitive; dull. 2. not sharp, acute, or pointed; blunt. 3. (of a leaf, petal, etc.) rounded at the extremity. 4. indistinctly felt or perceived, …

Jan 12, 2016 · The adjective obtuse literally means "rounded" or "blunt," but when it's used for a person, it means "not quick or alert in perception" — in other words, not the sharpest tool in …

Definition of obtuse adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

Dec 26, 2025 · Adjective obtuse (comparative obtuser or more obtuse, superlative obtusest or most obtuse) (now chiefly botany, zoology) Blunt; not sharp, pointed, or acute in form.

OBTUSE meaning: 1 : stupid or unintelligent not able to think clearly or to understand what is obvious or simple; 2 : not ending in a sharp point measuring between 90 degrees and 180 …

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 …