nebulous
Americanadjective
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hazy, vague, indistinct, or confused.
a nebulous recollection of the meeting; a nebulous distinction between pride and conceit.
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cloudy or cloudlike.
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of or resembling a nebula or nebulae in deep space; nebular.
adjective
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lacking definite form, shape, or content; vague or amorphous
nebulous reasons
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of, characteristic of, or resembling a nebula
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rare misty or hazy
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of nebulous
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin nebulōsus “full of mist, foggy, cloudy,” from nebul(a) “cloud, mist, vapor” ( see nebula) + -ōsus -ous
Explanation
Something that's nebulous is clouded or hazy. When you walk through the woods on a foggy morning, the trees may all have a mysterious, nebulous look to them. When you fly in a plane on an overcast day, the land below you looks nebulous and indistinct. You can also use nebulous in a more figurative way, to describe vague ideas or fuzzy concepts. Nebulous comes from the Latin nebulosus, "cloudy, misty, or foggy." Its root is nebula, which is "vapor or fog" in Latin and was adopted by astronomers in the 1700s to mean "a cloud of gas and dust in outer space."
Vocabulary lists containing nebulous
To Kill a Mockingbird
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The Great Gatsby
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1984
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Nebulous state election laws suggested the timing of the election to replace Lautenberg could come in either 2013 or 2014.
From Washington Post • Jun. 4, 2013
Nebulous as it is, there are as many different understandings of the spirit of cricket as there are people who play and watch the game.
From The Guardian • Aug. 10, 2010
"Nebulous and rather complicated." sniffed Louisiana's Allen Ellender, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee.
From Time Magazine Archive
Out of that scabbard sprang, as from its womb, Nebulous at first but hardening to a star.
From The Complete Poetical Works of James Russell Lowell by Lowell, James Russell
Observations relating to the Sidereal Part of the Heavens, and its Connection with the Nebulous Part; arranged for the Purpose of a critical Examination.
From Biographies of Distinguished Scientific Men by Grant, Robert
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
