I consider the meaning, whether the message is obvious, direct or too obtuse.

But James was too obtuse and Julia too angry to notice the look.

He had hurt her at last, and he was not too obtuse or too careless to perceive it.

But the clerk was too obtuse to appreciate the clever shaping of thought, and this waste of ammunition irritated Cuthfert.

There are common threads in all the stories, though I was a little too obtuse to spot the most obvious one.

Plainly, Alberto had been working on this puzzle, either not trusting Rachel or figuring she and her uncle were too obtuse.

Ernestine, who was not too obtuse to recognize what had happened without the need of many words, listened to Milly's announcement dumbly.

"By Jove," he said, his eyes glowing, "you must not risk finding me too obtuse."

"Yes, it is." Drew stood, but the agent was either too obtuse or too intent on his job to follow Drew's lead.