Japanese symbol for “obtuse”
鈍い
のろい
Romaji: noroi
thickheaded; obtuse; stupid
In Japanese, obtuse is 鈍い, read のろい (noroi).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- adj-i thickheaded; obtuse; stupid
- adj-i slow; sluggish; inert; lethargic
- adj-i indulgent (esp. to the opposite sex); doting
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “obtuse”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 愚鈍 | ぐどん gudon | stupid; dim-witted; dense |
| 鈍頭 | どんとう dontou | obtuse (of the shape of a leaf); rounded |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 鈍感 | どんかん donkan | thickheaded; insensitive; dull |
| 鈍器 | どんき donki | blunt weapon |
| 鈍化 | どんか donka | becoming dull; slowing down |
| 鈍る | にぶる niburu | to become blunt; to grow dull |
See also: Chinese symbol for “obtuse”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.