• (British) IPA: /əbˈtjuːs/, /-ˈtʃuːs/
• (GA) IPA: /əbˈt(j)us/, /ɑb-/

obtuse (comparative obtuser, superlative obtusest)

1. (now, chiefly, botany, zoology) blunt; not sharp, pointed, or acute in form.
   1. (botany, zoology) Blunt, or rounded at the extremity.
   2. (geometry, specifically, of an, angle) Larger than one, and smaller than two right angles, or more than 90° and less than 180°.
   3. (geometry, by ellipsis) obtuse-angled, having an obtuse angle.
2. Intellectually dull or dim-witted.
   • 1848, William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair, Chapter 21:

     When the elder Osborne gave what he called "a hint," there was no possibility for the most obtuse to mistake his meaning. He called kicking a footman downstairs a hint to the latter to leave his service.

3. Of sound#Noun|sound, etc.: deaden#Adjective|deadened, muffled#Adjective|muffled, muted#Adjective|muted.
   • 1661, Robert Lovell, “Dynamilogia Pharmaceutica. Or The Whole Use, of All Simples and Compounds Contained in the London Dispensatory, with the Diseases Cured by Them in Alphabetical Order: Together with the Doses and Formes of All Kinds of Remedies.”, in ΠΑΝΖΩΟΡΥΚΤΟΛΟΓΙΑ [PANZŌORYKTOLOGIA]. Sive Panzoologicomineralogia. Or a Compleat History of Animals and Minerals, Containing the Summe of All Authors, both Ancient and Modern, Galenicall and Chymicall, [...], Oxford: Printed by Hen[ry] Hall, for Jos[eph] Godwin, OCLC 79920846 ↗, page 517 ↗:

     The ſenſe of the inteſtines, if exquiſite, wants a more gentle remedie; and if dull, a ſtronger: Alſo the ſenſes of the inteſtines are perceived by the courſe of diet; for thoſe that feed upon muſtard, or the like biting and more ſharp meat, without trouble, are of a more obtuſe ſenſe; but thoſe of an exact ſenſe, which preſently perceive the mordacity; and thoſe that are of a mean ſenſe, want a mean doſe.

4. Indirect or circuitous.

• (intellectually dull) dense, dim, dim-witted, thick (informal)
• (of a sound) deadened, muffled
• (of a triangle) obtuse-angled
• (now chiefly botany, zoology) blunt, dull

• (intellectually dull) bright, intelligent, on the ball, quick off the mark, quick-witted, sharp, smart
• (deadened, muffled, muted) clear, sharp
• (of an angle) acute
• (of a triangle) acute, acute-angled
• (now chiefly botany, zoology) pointed, sharp

• French: obtus, obtuse
• German: begriffsstutzig, beschränkt, stumpf, schwerfällig
• Italian: ottuso
• Portuguese: obtuso, bronco, parvo
• Russian: тупо́й
• Spanish: obtuso

• German: indirekt, umständlich, weitschweifig

• French: sourd
• German: unterdrückt, gedämpft, abgeschwächt, abgestumpft, betäubt, abgemildert, gefühllos
• Portuguese: abafado
• Russian: приглушённый

• French: obtus
• German: stumpf
• Portuguese: obtuso
• Russian: тупо́й
• Spanish: obtuso

• German: stumpf
• Portuguese: obtuso
• Russian: тупо́й
• Spanish: obtuso, romo

obtuse (obtuses, present participle obtusing; past and past participle obtused)

1. (transitive, obsolete) To dull#Verb|dull or reduce an emotion or a physical state#Noun|state.
   • 1611, Randle Cotgrave, comp., “Fouler ↗”, in A Dictionarie of the French and English Tongves, London: Printed by Adam Islip, OCLC 491770318 ↗, column 2:

     {m