nebulous

American  

[neb-yuh-luhs] / ˈnɛb yə ləs /

adjective

1. hazy, vague, indistinct, or confused.

   a nebulous recollection of the meeting; a nebulous distinction between pride and conceit.

2. cloudy or cloudlike.

3. of or resembling a nebula or nebulae in deep space; nebular.

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nebulous British  

/ ˈnɛbjʊləs /

adjective

1. lacking definite form, shape, or content; vague or amorphous

   nebulous reasons

2. of, characteristic of, or resembling a nebula

3. rare misty or hazy

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Other Word Forms

• nebulously adverb
• nebulousness noun
• nonnebulous adjective
• nonnebulously adverb
• nonnebulousness noun
• quasi-nebulous adjective
• quasi-nebulously adverb

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” ( nebula ) + -ōsus -ous

Example Sentences

For many American families, saving for college is a daunting and nebulous task.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

Quite often, while these U-turns shake up markets, they remain nebulous in terms of actual deals.

From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026

By midday Friday, it remained unclear when the partial shutdown would end, as lawmakers left Washington for a security conference in Munich and progress between Democratic and White House negotiators remained nebulous.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 13, 2026

At Davos, Trump also signed the charter of his inaugural “Board of Peace,” a nebulous body which may be intended as a rival to the United Nations.

From Salon • Jan. 25, 2026

She flinched from him, the hoarseness of his voice, the nebulous and easy meaninglessness of his words.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Related Words

• ambiguous
• amorphous
• hazy
• imprecise
• murky
• shadowy
• vague