OBTUSENESS

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does obtuseness mean? 

• OBTUSENESS (noun)
  The noun OBTUSENESS has 2 senses:

1. the quality of being slow to understand

2. the quality of lacking a sharp edge or point

  Familiarity information: OBTUSENESS used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• OBTUSENESS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The quality of being slow to understand

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

dullness; obtuseness

Hypernyms ("obtuseness" is a kind of...):

stupidity (a poor ability to understand or to profit from experience)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "obtuseness"):

oscitance; oscitancy (drowsiness and dullness manifested by yawning)

Derivation:

obtuse (slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity)

obtuse (lacking in insight or discernment)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The quality of lacking a sharp edge or point

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("obtuseness" is a kind of...):

bluntness; dullness (without sharpness or clearness of edge or point)

Antonym:

acuteness (the quality of having a sharp edge or point)

Derivation:

obtuse ((of a leaf shape) rounded at the apex)