Table of Contents
The word for today is…
obtuse (adjective):
1a : not pointed or acute : blunt
b : of an angle : exceeding 90 degrees but less than 180 degrees
: an obtuse triangle is one having an obtuse angle
c : of a leaf : rounded at the free end
2a : lacking sharpness or quickness of sensibility or intellect
b : difficult to comprehend : not clear or precise in thought or expression
Source : Merriam -Webster
Etymology : Obtuse, which comes to us from the Latin word obtusus, meaning “dull” or “blunt,” can describe an angle that is not acute or a person who is mentally “dull” or slow of mind. The word has also developed a somewhat controversial sense of “hard to comprehend,” probably as a result of confusion with abstruse. This sense of obtuse is well established, and it is now possible to speak of “obtuse language” and “obtuse explanations,” as well as “obtuse angles” and “obtuse readers”; however, it may attract some criticism. If you’re hesitant about using new meanings of words, you should probably stick with abstruse when you want a word meaning “difficult to understand.”
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