凸兀 (tū wù) is an adjective describing something that juts out abruptly or stands out starkly against its surroundings—like a rocky outcrop rising sharply from flat terrain or an oddly prominent feature in an otherwise smooth surface. The character 凸 means 'convex' or 'protruding', while 兀 conveys 'bare', 'steep', or 'isolated prominence'; together, they intensify the sense of abrupt, unsoftened projection. It’s often used in descriptive writing about landscapes, architecture, or visual compositions where contrast and sharp relief are emphasized.

This word carries a slightly literary or formal tone and appears more frequently in written Chinese than in casual speech. It evokes visual tension—think of a lone cliff face, an angular modern sculpture in a garden, or even a person’s unusually prominent cheekbones described in a novel. Though it can occasionally describe abstract prominence (e.g., a sudden, conspicuous issue), its core meaning remains rooted in physical, three-dimensional salience.