obtuseness

Everyday

1. Slowness to understand things; not noticing what is obvious. tree →
2. (maths, rare) The quality of being an obtuse angle, wider than a right angle. tree →
3. Bluntness, not being sharp or pointed. tree →

In the lessons

In stories, a character's obtuseness annoys others because he will not «get» a hint; in The Wind in the Willows Toad's friends despair at his obtuseness about his own foolishness. In maths, «obtuse» is the everyday word: an obtuse angle is between 90° and 180°.

Examples

• Her obtuseness made the joke fall flat. tree →
• Badger sighed at Toad's obtuseness. tree →
• His obtuseness about the hints was annoying. tree →
• The teacher explained the obtuseness of the angle by comparing it with a right angle. tree →
• Was it real obtuseness, or was he pretending not to understand? tree →
• The obtuseness of the old knife made it useless for cutting. tree →

Note

From «obtuse» + «-ness». In maths use «obtuse angle»: acute < 90°, right = 90°, obtuse between 90° and 180°, reflex > 180°. Calling a person obtuse is rude.