obtuse
- 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
Synonyms for obtuse
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comExamples from the Web for obtusely
Contemporary Examples of obtusely
Japanese geishas and Arab sheiks are also obtusely name-checked.
Historical Examples of obtusely
The caps were obtusely convex and of a grayish rufescent color.
The Mushroom, Edible and OtherwiseM. E. Hard
Seventh cervical: Spine as high as the arch, obtusely pointed.
The Beaked Whales of the Family ZiphidaeFrederick True
Occasionally the body-whorl is obtusely carinated just below the suture.
The Sea-beach at Ebb-tideAugusta Foote Arnold
"She isn't poor; she is very well off," says Mr. Kelly, obtusely.
RossmoyneUnknown
"I suppose we might go inside, too," suggested Sylvia obtusely.
A Hoosier ChronicleMeredith Nicholson
obtuse
- 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
Word Origin for obtuse
Word Origin and History for obtusely
obtuse
early 15c., "dull, blunted," from Middle French obtus (fem. obtuse), from Latin obtusus "blunted, dull," also used figuratively, past participle of obtundere "to beat against, make dull," from ob "against" (see ob-) + tundere "to beat," from PIE *(s)tud-e- "to beat, strike, push, thrust," from root *(s)teu- "to push, stick, knock, beat" (cf. Latin tudes "hammer," Sanskrit tudati "he thrusts"). Sense of "stupid" is first found c.1500. Related: Obtusely; obtuseness.
obtuse
(ŏb-tōōs′, əb-)- Lacking quickness of perception or intellect.
- Not sharp or acute; blunt.