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obtuse

[ uhb-toos, -tyoos ]
/ əbˈtus, -ˈtyus /
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See synonyms for: obtuse / obtusely / obtuseness on Thesaurus.com

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.
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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, adverb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH obtuse

abstruse, obtuse
Dictionary.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
  1. (of an angle) lying between 90° and 180°
  2. (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, noun

Word 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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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