as in thickness
the quality or state of lacking intelligence or quickness of mind
our guest's obtuseness was such that he failed to take even the broadest hint that it was time to leave
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obtuseness
Noun
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It’s formulated with calcium to promote new cell growth, adenosine to fill in wrinkles, collagen to maintain your skin’s density and thickness, elastin to restore stretched skin, and Vitamin D for rejuvenation.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
30 Jan. 2026 -
Since then, scientists have been in two camps, championing conflicting theories on the thickness of Europa's ice shell.—
Julian Dossett,
Space.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Huw just spazzes out most of the time, and Patrick is incredibly transparent and succeeds more because of luck and the stupidity of others rather than his own intellect.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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My love of the theater and my love of the people who dedicate their life to creativity and the kind of highs and lows of that life, and the silliness and stupidity of that life, and the moments of elegiac grace.—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Compare that to punk rock, which used dumbness as a tactic.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Feldman had been asked whether his corpus of work, with its brooding slowness and trembling softness, had something to do with Jewish mourning in the wake of the Holocaust.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
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The slowness is part of its appeal.—
Kallie Plagge,
The Verge,
19 Jan. 2026
Noun
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To avoid any dullness, a chunky belt is the ultimate solution to break up the fabric or pattern.—
Amanda Le,
InStyle,
27 Jan. 2026
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And if your mature complexion has lost some of its luster, the radiance boost comes from a lineup of botanicals (saffron, manjishta, turmeric, licorice, and Indian barberry) that are traditionally used in Ayurvedic medicine to help even tone, brighten dullness, and calm visible inflammation.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The pressure brought forth both boneheadedness and brilliance.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Navarro devoted a chapter to the seductive foolishness of protectionist trade policies.—
Ian Parker,
New Yorker,
22 Dec. 2025
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The captain of the boat Zoë and Sarah came on watches them from afar, shaking his head at English foolishness.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
3 Dec. 2025
Noun
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No, but the line captures the aristocracy’s witlessness.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
18 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Obtuseness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obtuseness. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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