Blockheaded

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Displaying a thick-headedness that hinders flexible thinking
2. Showing a fixed and obtuse way of thinking that resists change or new ideas
3. Exhibiting a firm but narrow mindset that struggles to adapt or understand different perspectives

Etymology: "Blockheaded" is a plain compound: "block" plus "headed," the adjective built from "head" in the sense of a person's mind or intellect. The "block" here is the solid wooden or stone mass, so the image is of a head as dense and immovable as a lump of timber. Calling someone blockheaded therefore suggests that their thinking has no give, no capacity to be shaped by new information. The same logic gives the noun "blockhead," a stupid person, and the word carries the same sense of obstinate dullness. The compound pattern is productive in English, which is why "hardheaded" and "thickheaded" follow the same model, each swapping in a different image of solidity or density.

Synonyms: stupid, dull, obtuse, thickheaded, slow-witted

Antonyms: intelligent, smart, clever