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obtuse
[ uhb-toos, -tyoos ]
/ ÉbĖtus, -Ėtyus /
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Definition of obtuse
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.
OTHER WORDS FOR obtuse
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Origin of obtuse
1500ā10; <Latin obtÅ«sus dulled (past participle of obtundere), equivalent to ob-ob- + tÅ«d-, 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, obtuseWords nearby obtuse
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Ā© Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use obtuse in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for obtuse
obtuse
/ (ÉbĖtjuĖs) /
adjective
mentally slow or emotionally insensitive
maths
- (of an angle) lying between 90° and 180°
- (of a triangle) having one interior angle greater than 90°
not sharp or pointed
indistinctly felt, heard, etc; dullobtuse pain
(of a leaf or similar flat part) having a rounded or blunt tip
Derived forms of obtuse
obtusely, adverbobtuseness, nounWord Origin for obtuse
C16: from Latin obtūsus dulled, past participle of obtundere to beat down; see obtund
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
Ā© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 Ā© HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Medical definitions for obtuse
obtuse
[ Åb-tÅÅsā², Éb- ]
adj.
Lacking quickness of perception or intellect.
Not sharp or acute; blunt.
The American HeritageĀ® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
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