1
as in blunt
lacking sharpness of edge or point
obtuse scissors designed so that young users will not cut themselves
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dumb
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of obtuse
Turning it into a cheap conceit to blast a political opponent is both obtuse and shameful, and only serves to bolster those who would downplay the terrors of Hitler’s reign.
—
Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 15 June 2025
Alfie, who’s either being willfully obtuse or radically uncompromising, sees nothing sacrilegious in Wilde’s one-act tragedy.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2025
Instead, Zannier preserved existing vegetation and engineered against erosion—environmental consciousness that makes neighboring resorts look positively obtuse by comparison.
—Paul Jebara, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Instead, the show morphed into a thudding retread of SATC with weaker, more diluted storytelling/joke-telling and an obtuse obsession with flaunting its characters’ seemingly infinite riches.
—Robyn Bahr, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for obtuse
Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 15 June 2025
Alfie, who’s either being willfully obtuse or radically uncompromising, sees nothing sacrilegious in Wilde’s one-act tragedy.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2025
Instead, Zannier preserved existing vegetation and engineered against erosion—environmental consciousness that makes neighboring resorts look positively obtuse by comparison.
—Paul Jebara, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Instead, the show morphed into a thudding retread of SATC with weaker, more diluted storytelling/joke-telling and an obtuse obsession with flaunting its characters’ seemingly infinite riches.
—Robyn Bahr, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for obtuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obtuse
Adjective
-
Dave Roberts was blunt about Shohei Ohtani’s 1-for-18 National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Though the doors did not yield, Shapiro has not been able to escape the image – or the thought of the blunt sledgehammer Balmer had intended to strike him with.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
And, in one of the dumbest and most obviously racist postr taken by a presidential candidate, at some point Republicans became fixated on the idea that Haitian migrants were stealing pets for food in the Midwest.—
Sal Rodriguez,
Oc Register,
18 Oct. 2025
-
After Johnson gave his answer to that resolutely dumb question, several other luminaries took a whack at the zeitgeist piñata.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
But, God, to be able to play a Pablo Escobar who was just petty and wanted friends, there was something so stupid and so hilarious about that to me.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Keaton continued to play oddballs with a peculiar way of talking, though none were trivial or stupid.—
Matt Zoller Seitz,
Vulture,
12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Audition is a slow burn, spending the better part of two hours setting up audiences for arguably one of the most graphic climaxes in horror history.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Tai chi is a form of exercise that involves slow, gentle movements and balancing poses.—
Carrie Madormo,
Health,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Monochromatic Raven loves to stick to a simple, serene palette by combining a variety of white tulips with different bloom times.—
Miranda Crowell,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 Oct. 2025
-
This Madewell version channels that effortless, neutral polish Kitts described—simple, structured, and endlessly versatile.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The most recent eruption occurred in June, spewing thick clouds of gas and molten rock as high as 4 miles into the air at some points.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Without thick sheets of ice to buttress it, the rock face becomes destabilized.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Have a Veggie and Bean Breakfast Hash Mixing potatoes, bell pepper, spinach, zucchini, mushrooms, and black beans into a fiber-rich breakfast hash is a colorful and nutrient-dense way to start your day.—
Morgan Pearson,
Verywell Health,
21 Oct. 2025
-
The confounding discovery of a human femur has created a mystery in the dense woods of rural North Carolina.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
But there are also Black folks who are ignorant of this.—
Andre Gee,
Rolling Stone,
21 Oct. 2025
-
The pilot has moments both sweet and funny, and sets up the possibility of romance amongst the characters, as well as further high jinks from a rotating cast of license seekers and citizens ignorant of the requirements for a Real ID.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
11 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Obtuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obtuse. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share