obtuse

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: ob=tuse

CIDE DICTIONARY

obtuse, a. [L. obtusus, p. p. of obtundere to blunt: cf. F. obtus. See Obtund.].

•  Not pointed or acute; blunt; -- applied esp. to angles greater than a right angle, or containing more than ninety degrees.  [1913 Webster]
•  Not having acute sensibility or perceptions; not alert, especially to the feelings of others; dull; stupid; as, obtuse senses.  Milton.  [1913 Webster]
•  Dull; deadened; as, obtuse sound.  Johnson.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

obtuse, adj.
1 dull-witted; slow to understand.
2 of blunt form; not sharp-pointed or sharp-edged.
3 (of an angle) more than 90° and less than 180°.
4 (of pain or the senses) dull; not acute.

Derivative

obtusely adv. obtuseness n. obtusity n.

Etymology

L obtusus past part. (as OBTUND)

THESAURUS

obtuse

abrupt, affectless, anesthetized, arctic, asleep, autistic, benumbed, bluff, blunt, blunt-edged, blunt-ended, blunt-pointed, blunt-witted, blunted, bluntish, boneheaded, callous, catatonic, chill, chilly, cloddish, cold, cold as charity, cold-blooded, coldhearted, cool, dead, deadened, dense, dim, dim-witted, dispassionate, doltish, dopey, drugged, dull, dull of mind, dull-edged, dull-headed, dull-pated, dull-pointed, dull-witted, dulled, dullish, edgeless, emotionally dead, emotionless, faired, fat-witted, frigid, frosted, frosty, frozen, gross-headed, heartless, heavy, hebetudinous, icy, immovable, impassible, impassive, imperceptive, impercipient, inexcitable, insensate, insensible, insensitive, insentient, insusceptible, loutish, lumpish, mentally retarded, nonemotional, numb, numbed, oafish, obdurate, objective, out of touch, passionless, pointless, rounded, self-absorbed, simple, slow, slow-witted, sluggish, smoothed, soulless, spiritless, stolid, thick, thick-brained, thick-headed, thick-pated, thick-skinned, thick-witted, thickheaded, thickskulled, unaffectionate, unedged, unemotional, unfeeling, unfelt, unimpassioned, unimpressionable, unloving, unpassionate, unperceptive, unpointed, unresponding, unresponsive, unsharp, unsharpened, unsusceptible, unsympathetic, untouchable, wooden

ROGET THESAURUS

obtuse

Insensibility

N insensibility, insensibleness, moral insensibility, inertness, inertia, vis inertiae, impassibility, impassibleness, inappetency, apathy, phlegm, dullness, hebetude, supineness, lukewarmness, cold fit, cold blood, cold heart, coldness, coolness, frigidity, sang froid, stoicism, imperturbation, nonchalance, unconcern, dry eyes, insouciance, recklessness, callousness, heart of stone, stock and stone, marble, deadness, torpor, torpidity, obstupefaction, lethargy, coma, trance, vegetative state, sleep, suspended animation, stupor, stupefaction, paralysis, palsy, numbness, neutrality, quietism, vegetation, insensible, unconscious, impassive, impassible, blind to, deaf to, dead to, unsusceptible, insusceptible, unimpressionable, unimpressible, passionless, spiritless, heartless, soulless, unfeeling, unmoral, apathetic, leuco-, phlegmatic, dull, frigid, cold blooded, cold hearted, cold as charity, flat, maudlin, obtuse, inert, supine, sluggish, torpid, torpedinous, torporific, sleepy, languid, half-hearted, tame, numbed, comatose, anaesthetic, stupefied, chloroformed, drugged, stoned, palsy-stricken, indifferent, lukewarm, careless, mindless, regardless, inattentive, neglectful, disregarding, unconcerned, nonchalant, pococurante, insouciant, sans souci, unambitious, unaffected, unruffled, unimpressed, uninspired, unexcited, unmoved, unstirred, untouched, unshocked, unstruck, unblushing, unanimated, vegetative, callous, thick-skinned, hard-nosed, pachydermatous, impervious, hardened, inured, casehardened, steeled against, proof against, imperturbable, unfelt, insensibly, aequo animo, without being moved, without being touched, without being impressed, in cold blood, with dry eyes, with withers unwrung, never mind, macht nichts, it is of no consequence, it cannot be helped, nothing coming amiss, it is all the same to, it is all one to.

Bluntness

N bluntness, blunt, obtuse, dull, bluff, edentate, toothless.

Physical Insensibility

N insensibility, physical insensibility, obtuseness, palsy, paralysis, paraesthesia, anaesthesia, sleep, hemiplegia, motor paralysis, vegetable state, coma, anaesthetic agent, opium, ether, chloroform, chloral, nitrous oxide, laughing gas, exhilarating gas, protoxide of nitrogen, refrigeration, insensible, unfeeling, senseless, impercipient, callous, thick- skinned, pachydermatous, hard, hardened, case hardened, proof, obtuse, dull, anaesthetic, comatose, paralytic, palsied, numb, dead.

Folly

N imbecility folly, want of intelligence &c, want of intellect, shadowness, silliness, foolishness, imbecility, incapacity, vacancy of mind, poverty of intellect, weakness of intellect, clouded perception, poor head, apartments to let, stupidity, stolidity, hebetude, dull understanding, meanest capacity, shortsightedness, incompetence, one's weak side, not one's strong point, bias, infatuation, simplicity, puerility, babyhood, dotage, anility, second childishness, fatuity, idiocy, idiotism, driveling, folly, frivolity, irrationality, trifling, ineptitude, nugacity, inconsistency, lip wisdom, conceit, sophistry, giddiness, eccentricity, extravagance, rashness, act of folly, unintelligent, unintellectual, unreasoning, mindless, witless, reasoningless, brainless, halfbaked, having no head, not bright, inapprehensible, weak headed, addle headed, puzzle headed, blunder headed, muddle headed, muddy headed, pig headed, beetle headed, buffle headed, chuckle headed, mutton headed, maggoty headed, grossheaded, beef headed, fat witted, fat-headed, weak-minded, feeble-minded, dull minded, shallow minded, lack- brained, rattle-brained, rattle headed, half witted, lean witted, short witted, dull witted, blunt-witted, shallow-pated, clod-pated, addle- pated, addle-brained, dim-sighted, short-sighted, thick-skulled, weak in the upper story, shallow, borne, weak, wanting, soft, sappy, spoony, dull, dull as a beetle, stupid, heavy, insulse, obtuse, blunt, stolid, doltish, asinine, inapt, prosaic, hebetudinous, childish, child-like, infantine, infantile, babyish, babish, puerile, anile, simple, old-womanish, fatuous, idiotic, imbecile, driveling, blatant, babbling, vacant, sottish, bewildered, blockish, unteachable Boeotian, Boeotic, bovine, ungifted, undiscerning, unenlightened, unwise, unphilosophical, apish, simious, foolish, silly, senseless, irrational, insensate, nonsensical, inept, maudlin, narrow-minded, bigoted, giddy, rash, eccentric, foolish, unwise, injudicious, improper, unreasonable, without reason, ridiculous, absurd, idiotic, silly, stupid, asinine, ill-imagined, ill-advised, ill-judged, ill-devised, mal entendu, inconsistent, irrational, unphilosophical, extravagant, sleeveless, idle, pointless, useless, inexpedient, frivolous, Davus sum non, a fool's bolt is soon shot clitellae bovi sunt im, fools rush in where angels fear to tread, il n' a ni bouche ni eperon, the bookful blockhead, ignorantly read, to varnish nonsense with the charms of sound.