Obtuse vs Abstruse
obtuse
slow-witted/dull
abstruse
hard to understand
How to tell them apart
OBtuse points at the OBservER: a dull, slow-witted OaF. abSTRUSE describes the SToPic itself being hard to grasp; the tangled 'STR' is like a knotted STRing of ideas.
Test yourself
Fill in the blank: “Only one of these words means slow-witted/dull. That word is ______.”
Choose: obtuse or abstruse
Show answer
Answer: obtuse
Obtuse means slow-witted/dull, which matches slow-witted/dull. Abstruse means hard to understand, so it is the wrong choice here.
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