adj

obtuse

uhb-TYOOS

adj

Slow to understand or notice things that seem obvious to others.

"He was being deliberately obtuse, pretending not to see the point."

Of an angle: greater than 90 degrees but less than 180 degrees.

"The roof formed an obtuse angle where the two slopes met."

Blunt or rounded rather than sharp or pointed.

"The leaf has an obtuse tip rather than a pointed one."

How to Use Obtuse

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither mentally slow to catch on, or (in geometry/shape) blunt rather than sharp.

Common mistake

Don't confuse with "abstruse" (hard to understand) — "obtuse" describes a person's dullness, "abstruse" describes difficult subject matter.

Easily confused with

abstruse

Common pairings

obtuse angle wilfully obtuse obtuse remark

obtuser comparative, more obtuse comparative, obtused past tense, obtuses singular, obtusest superlative, most obtuse superlative

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He was being deliberately _____, pretending not to see the point.

From Latin obtusus, "blunt, dull", past participle of obtundere, "to beat against, blunt" — from ob- plus tundere, "to strike".

obtuse-angled blunt dull

bright intelligent on the ball quick off the mark quick-witted sharp smart clear

slow money distinct learned light bright beautiful bitter

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obtuse-angled blunt dull bright intelligent on the ball quick off the mark quick-witted sharp smart clear slow