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.

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.

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. I've really been very obtuse and stupid.

Obtuse generally refers to an angle that measures more than 90 degrees but less than 180 degrees. In a broader sense, it can also be used to describe someone or something as not quick or alert in …

Find 46 different ways to say OBTUSE, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com.

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.