Obtusely

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a manner showing slowness to understand or a lack of sharpness of mind ; in a blunt, rounded fashion lacking sharp edges or points
2. Expressed or acting with dullness or insensitivity to subtlety or detail ; shaped in a blunt or broad way rather than pointed
3. With dullness or insensitivity to ideas or feelings ; characterized by a rounded or blunt physical form rather than sharpness

Etymology: Obtuse comes from Latin "obtusus," the past participle of "obtundere," meaning "to beat against" or "to blunt," built from "ob-" (against) and "tundere" (to beat). That origin explains both of the word's senses: a blunted blade is dulled by being beaten, and a blunted mind is one that fails to register things sharply. English took the adjective from Latin, and the sense of dullness of wit was present from the start, alongside the literal sense of a blunt edge. Obtusely is simply obtuse with the suffix "-ly" attached. That suffix descends from Old English "-līce," a form of the word for "body" or "form," which gradually came to mark adjectives turned into adverbs of manner. So the adverb carries the same two strands of meaning as its root: something done bluntly, with no sharp edge, or something done with a slowness of understanding.

Synonyms: bluntly, dully, stupidly

Antonyms: sharply, intelligently