obtuseEnglishOxford Dictionary of Englishobtuse /əbˈtjuːs , ɒbˈtjuːs / ▸ adjective 1 annoyingly slow to understand; dull-witted: he wondered if the doctor was being deliberately obtuse blame lies at the feet of obtuse senior leaders. ▪ difficult to understand; unclear: some of the lyrics are a bit obtuse. 2 (of an angle) more than 90° and less than 180°: an obtuse angle of 150°. 3 not sharp-pointed or sharp-edged; blunt: it had strange obtuse teeth. – DERIVATIVES obtusely /əbˈtjuːsli , ɒbˈtjuːsli / adverb obtuseness /əbˈtjuːsnəs , ɒbˈtjuːsnəs / noun obtusity noun– ORIGIN late Middle English (in obtuse (sense 3 of the adjective)): from Latin obtusus, past participle of obtundere ‘beat against’ (see obtund).