Obtuse — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /äb-ˈtüs/ ob·tuse

Meaning & Definition of Obtuse

Obtuse (adjective)

  1. slow to understand what is obvious or simple, dense
  2. difficult to comprehend, not clear or precise in thought or expression
  3. not pointed or acute, blunt

Obtuse (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. lacking sharpness of edge or point

    "obtuse scissors designed so that young users will not cut themselves"

    similar: blunt, blunted, dull, dulled
    related: dullish, rounded, smooth, even, flat, flattened, level
    opposite: cutting, edged, edgy, ground, honed, keen, pointed, sharp, sharpened, whetted
    near: jagged, needlelike, prickly, spiked, spikelike, spiky, spiny, jabbing, lacerating, piercing, scratching, stabbing, ultrasharp

  2. not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily

    "forgive me for being obtuse, but I wish you'd explain that to me again"

    similar: airheaded, birdbrained, bonehead, boneheaded, brain-dead, brainless, bubbleheaded, chuckleheaded, dense, dim, dim-witted, doltish, dopey, dorky (slang), dull, dumb, dunderheaded, empty-headed, fatuous, gormless (chiefly British), half-witted, knuckleheaded, lamebrain, lunkheaded, mindless, oafish, opaque, pinheaded, senseless, simple, slow, slow-witted, soft, softheaded, stupid, thick, thick-witted, thickheaded, unintelligent, unsmart, vacuous, weak-minded, witless
    related: cretinous, feebleminded, simpleminded, boobish, foolish, idiotic, imbecile, moronic, ignorant, illiterate, lowbrow, uneducated, uninformed, unintellectual, untaught, unthinking, absurd, asinine, balmy, cockeyed, crackpot, crazy, cuckoo, daffy, daft, dippy, dotty, featherheaded, fool, half-baked, harebrained, insane, kooky, loony, mad, nonsensical, nutty, preposterous, sappy, screwball, silly, tomfool, unwise, wacky, zany, fallacious, illogical, invalid, irrational, unreasonable
    opposite: apt, brainy, bright, brilliant, clever, fast, hyperintelligent, intelligent, keen, nimble, quick, quick-witted, sharp, sharp-witted, smart, supersmart, ultrasmart
    near: ingenious, resourceful, acute, astute, discerning, insightful, keen, knowing, perceptive, percipient, perspicacious, sagacious, sage, sapient, savvy, wise, cerebral, erudite, highbrow, intellectual, knowledgeable, learned, literate, scholarly, thinking, well-read, educated, informed, schooled, skilled, trained, crafty, cunning, foxy, shrewd, wily, judicious, prudent, sane, sensible, sound, logical, rational, reasonable, valid

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Obtuse

The most common words with a similar meaning to Obtuse:

Slang: dorky
Chiefly British: gormless
blunt, blunted, dull, dulled, airheaded, birdbrained, bonehead, boneheaded, brain-dead, brainless, bubbleheaded, chuckleheaded, dense, dim, dim-witted, doltish, dopey, dumb, dunderheaded, empty-headed, fatuous, half-witted, knuckleheaded, lamebrain, lunkheaded, mindless, oafish, opaque, pinheaded, senseless, simple, slow, slow-witted, soft, softheaded, stupid, thick, thick-witted, thickheaded, unintelligent

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Obtuse

Words with the opposite meaning of Obtuse:

cutting, edged, edgy, ground, honed, keen, pointed, sharp, sharpened, whetted, apt, brainy, bright, brilliant, clever, fast, hyperintelligent, intelligent, nimble, quick, quick-witted, sharp-witted, smart, supersmart, ultrasmart

Related Words for Obtuse

dullish, rounded, smooth, even, flat, flattened, level, cretinous, feebleminded, simpleminded, boobish, foolish, idiotic, imbecile, moronic, ignorant, illiterate, lowbrow, uneducated, uninformed, unintellectual, untaught, unthinking, absurd, asinine, balmy, cockeyed, crackpot, crazy, cuckoo

Near Antonyms of Obtuse

jagged, needlelike, prickly, spiked, spikelike, spiky, spiny, jabbing, lacerating, piercing, scratching, stabbing, ultrasharp, ingenious, resourceful, acute, astute, discerning, insightful, knowing, perceptive, percipient, perspicacious, sagacious, sage, sapient, savvy, wise, cerebral, erudite

Word Forms of Obtuse

Inflections: obtuser, obtusest

Derived words: obtusely (adverb), obtuseness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Obtuse

Middle English, from Latin obtusus blunt, dull, from past participle of obtundere to beat against, blunt, from ob- against + tundere to beat ob-, contusion

First known use: 15th century

Words & Phrases Containing Obtuse

obtuse angle, obtuse triangle

Frequently Asked Questions about Obtuse

What does "Obtuse" mean?

"Obtuse" means slow to understand what is obvious or simple, dense. As an adjective, it is defined as: slow to understand what is obvious or simple, dense. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Obtuse"?

Other words for "Obtuse" include blunt, blunted, dull, dulled, airheaded, birdbrained, bonehead and boneheaded. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Obtuse" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Obtuse"?

There are 103 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Obtuse". Common alternatives include blunt, blunted, dull, dulled, airheaded, birdbrained, bonehead, boneheaded, brain-dead and brainless.

What is the opposite of "Obtuse"?

Antonyms of "Obtuse" include cutting, edged, edgy, ground, honed, keen, pointed and sharp. Near antonyms include jagged, needlelike, prickly and spiked.

How do you use "Obtuse" in a sentence?

Examples of "Obtuse" in a sentence: "obtuse scissors designed so that young users will not cut themselves"; "forgive me for being obtuse, but I wish you'd explain that to me again".

Is "Obtuse" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Obtuse" is an adjective.

How do you pronounce "Obtuse"?

"Obtuse" is pronounced /äb-ˈtüs/ and divided into syllables as ob·tuse.

What is the origin of the word "Obtuse"?

"Obtuse" comes from Middle English, from Latin obtusus blunt, dull, from past participle of obtundere to beat against, blunt, from ob- against + tundere to beat ob-, contusion. First known use: 15th century.