Meaning & use
obtuseness
Last updated
The quality of being slow to understand or insensitive to what is obvious; also, in geometry, the quality of an angle being greater than ninety degrees.
See it in a sentence
His obtuseness about other people's feelings made him a difficult roommate.
The committee's obtuseness delayed an obvious decision for months.
A note on using this word
Obtuseness derives from the Latin "obtusus," meaning "blunted," the same root shared with the geometric "obtuse angle."
Words with a similar meaning
dullnessinsensitivity
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
sharpnessperceptiveness
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “obtuseness”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.