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.

To be hackneyed, if you're a hammer (or anything that's obtuse), everything looks like a nail.

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 …

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

Someone who is obtuse has difficulty understanding things, or makes no effort to understand them.

obtuse (adjective) obtuse /ɑb ˈ tuːs/ Brit /ɒb ˈ tjuːs/ adjective Britannica Dictionary definition of OBTUSE [more obtuse; most obtuse] 1 formal : stupid or unintelligent : not able to think clearly or to …

Factsheet What does the adjective obtuse mean? There are four meanings listed in OED's entry for the adjective obtuse, one of which is labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and …

Jan 20, 2026 · Adjective obtuse (comparative obtuser or more obtuse, superlative obtusest or most obtuse) (now chiefly botany, zoology) Blunt; not sharp, pointed, or acute in form.

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.