Nov 4, 2011 · There’s a lot to understand about obtuse, so we’ll get straight to the point. Obtuse comes from a Latin word, obtusus, meaning “dull” or “blunt.”

OBTUSE definition: not quick or alert in perception, feeling, or intellect; not sensitive or observant; dull. See examples of obtuse used in a sentence.

He has been obtuse, difficult, totally irrational and unreasonable to the detriment of the whole of his country.

Dec 26, 2025 · Adjective obtuse (comparative obtuser or more obtuse, superlative obtusest or most obtuse) (now chiefly botany, zoology) Blunt; not sharp, pointed, or acute in form.

1. not quick or alert in perception, feeling, or intellect; insensitive; dull. 2. not sharp, acute, or pointed; blunt. 3. (of a leaf, petal, etc.) rounded at the extremity. 4. indistinctly felt or perceived, as pain or …

Someone who is obtuse has difficulty understanding things, or makes no effort to understand them. I've really been very obtuse and stupid.

Definition of obtuse adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

To be 'obtuse' is to be lacking sharpness of intellect. To be 'abstruse' is to use language that is hard to understand. However, 'obtuse' also has an often criticized meaning of 'difficult to comprehend.'

Jan 12, 2016 · The adjective obtuse literally means "rounded" or "blunt," but when it's used for a person, it means "not quick or alert in perception" — in other words, not the sharpest tool in the shed.

Discover everything about the word "OBTUSE" in English: meanings, translations, synonyms, pronunciations, examples, and grammar insights - all in one comprehensive guide.