Word Games Pro Dictionary

obtuse

adjective

slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity

Quick reference

Word Facts

Word length
6
Starts with
O
Ends with
E
Contains
BT
Scrabble score
8

How it sounds

Pronunciation

əbˈtjuːs

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Audio Pronunciation

Audio pronunciation is unavailable for this word.

Meaning

Definitions

adjective

  1. slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity

    “so dense he never understands anything I say to him”

adjective

  1. lacking in insight or discernment

    “too obtuse to grasp the implications of his behavior”

adjective

  1. of an angle; between 90 and 180 degrees

adjective

  1. (of a leaf shape) rounded at the apex

In context

Example Sentences

so dense he never understands anything I say to him
never met anyone quite so dim
{'source': 'Thackeray', 'text': 'although dull at classical learning, at mathematics he was uncommonly quick'}
dumb officials make some really dumb decisions
he was either normally stupid or being deliberately obtuse
too obtuse to grasp the implications of his behavior
{'source': 'Jasper Griffin', 'text': 'a purblind oligarchy that flatly refused to see that history was condemning it to the dustbin'}

Similar words

Synonyms

Opposite words

Antonyms

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