obtuse
[ uhb-toos, -tyoos ]
/ əbˈtus, -ˈtyus /
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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
First recorded in 1500–10; from 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
ob·tuse·ly, adverbob·tuse·ness, nounsub·ob·tuse, adjectivesub·ob·tuse·ly, adverbWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH obtuse
abstruse, obtuseDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use obtuse in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for obtuse
obtuse
/ (əbˈtjuːs) /
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
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