Word Confusion: Abstruse versus Obtuse

Posted August 11, 2016 by Kathy Davie in Author Resources, Self-Editing, Word Confusions, Writing

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At first glance, abstruse and obtuse appear to mean the same thing. It is an abstruse concept. However, abstruse is an obscurity of intelligence. Something so cryptic that it is difficult to understand. Obtuse is more along the lines of stupid, thick, or dopey.

It’s not so much intelligent versus stupid, but difficult to understand because it’s so puzzling to most anyone versus simply being dumber than dirt.

Word Confusions . . .

. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.

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Abstruse	Obtuse
Calculation of Destination of Mach Speed Projectile Using 3 Microphones by Jon717 and in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. — Well, it’s pretty abstruse to me!	Ángulo obtuso is HiTe‘s own work and is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. — The obtuse angle.
Part of Grammar:
Adjective	Adjective
Difficult to understand Obscure	Annoyingly insensitive or slow to understand Difficult to understand Dull [Geometry; of an angle] More than 90° and less than 180° Not sharp-pointed, acute, or sharp-edged Blunt [Of a leaf, petal, etc.] Rounded at the extremity Pain or sound indistinctly felt or perceived
Examples:
It was a particularly an abstruse philosophical inquiry. His classes did their best to avoid the professor’s abstruse lectures. Why does the help sections of various software use such abstruse language?	He wondered if the doctor was being deliberately obtuse. Some of the lyrics are a bit obtuse. The text was difficult to read, for it was so obtuse. Peter draws acute, right, and obtuse angles with given points. “The calyx is small, smooth and divided into five obtuse sepals” (How). “It differs from the true crocodile principally in having the head broader and shorter, and the snout more obtuse” (How).
Derivatives:
Adverb: abstrusely Noun: abstruseness	Adjective: subobtuse Adverb: obtusely, subobtusely Noun: obtuseness, obtusity, subobtuseness
History of the Word:
Late 16th century from the Latin abstrusus meaning put away or hidden, which is from abstrudere meaning conceal from ab- (from) + trudere (to push).	Late Middle English in the sense of blunt and is the from the Latin obtusus, a past participle of obtundere meaning beat against.

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C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!

Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.

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