1
2
as in stupid
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

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective obtuse differ from other similar words?

The words blunt and dull are common synonyms of obtuse. While all three words mean "not sharp, keen, or acute," obtuse implies such bluntness as makes one insensitive in perception or imagination.

too obtuse to take the hint

When might blunt be a better fit than obtuse?

The synonyms blunt and obtuse are sometimes interchangeable, but blunt suggests an inherent lack of sharpness or quickness of feeling or perception.

a person of blunt sensibility

When is it sensible to use dull instead of obtuse?

The words dull and obtuse are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, dull suggests a lack or loss of keenness, zest, or pungency.

a dull pain
a dull mind

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 The dismissals were compelled by twin obtuse opinions of the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) in the Department of Justice issued in 1973 and 2000. Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 4 Dec. 2024 Hence the obtuse rabbis, the cowering Uncle Yasha, and, in Aliyah of the 1990s, the naked Russian woman, presumably a prostitute, presenting herself doggy-style. Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 5 Oct. 2024 Monster Hunter Wilds, released in February of this year, is another example of a series that changed its arcade-y spirit for a more photo mode-worthy presentation, while streamlining the obtuse friction that the original games were known for. Diego Argüello, Rolling Stone, 22 Mar. 2025 There would be no obtuse angles; the idea was to maintain a feeling of innocence, like that of a child opening a toy for the first time. Stephania Taladrid, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for obtuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obtuse
Adjective
  • The post came just hours after the singer shared an image of what appeared to be his hand holding a burning blunt, as well as what appeared to be a back and forth with what appeared to be a now-former friend.
    Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 16 June 2025
  • Prosecutors say Scott’s daughter was found lifeless and had suffered multiple blunt force injuries.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 14 June 2025
Adjective
  • The pair will make stupid decisions, and viewers will likely wonder: would a girl like Paula really do that for a mess like Sloane?
    Lisa Kennedy, Variety, 13 June 2025
  • This one is one person on the street obviously taking the soul of a protester who was stupid enough to go after some police officers.
    Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 June 2025
Adjective
  • Ratajkowski has been fighting the stereotype of the dumb model from the beginning of her career.
    Daniel Jackson, Allure, 18 July 2017
  • Ninety nine percent of all NFL players are explicitly not dumb.
    Andy Benoit, The MMQB, 10 July 2017
Adjective
  • The music is, for the most part, quiet and slow, often hovering at the edge of silence.
    Alex Ross, New Yorker, 23 June 2025
  • Repeated waxing weakens follicles, making hair grow in finer and slower over time.
    Nia Bowers, USA Today, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • While to some these screen-free devices may seem like a return to the early, simpler days of fitness trackers, Werring says the public is a bit more savvy than the step-counting obsessives of the 2010s.
    Andrew Williams, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
  • But the system isn’t as simple as the governor suggests.
    Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 17 June 2025
Adjective
  • Simply lather a thick coating of petroleum jelly onto the scratch.
    Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 21 June 2025
  • As thick clouds billowed out of Eyjafjallajökull, the skies over the North Atlantic — one of the world’s busiest aviation routes — fell silent, with air traffic dropping to levels that wouldn’t be seen again until the Covid pandemic a decade later.
    Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 21 June 2025
Adjective
  • From dense, intensely aromatic reds to delicate whites, from sparkling to still, from sweet to fortified, there is a wine here that will suit any palate.
    Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
  • In addition, most microlensing efforts are recorded at the Galactic Center -- the densest part of the Milky Way, Edita Stonkutė, an associate professor of astronomy at Vilnius University, said in a statement.
    Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 18 June 2025
Adjective
  • Less prescient was her claim—ignorant in exactly the way of so many white feminists throughout history—that racial oppression would be solved once gender was abolished.
    Hazlitt, Hazlitt, 11 June 2025
  • The provision prohibiting states from regulating AI for the next 10 years is unconscionably ignorant and dangerous.
    Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 June 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Obtuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obtuse. Accessed 27 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on obtuse

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!