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
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, obtuseDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
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
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Medical definitions for obtuse
obtuse
[ ŏb-tōōs′, əb- ]
adj.
Lacking quickness of perception or intellect.
Not sharp or acute; blunt.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.