vague
Americanadjective
-
not clearly or explicitly stated or expressed.
vague promises.
- Synonyms:
- imprecise, unspecific
-
indefinite or indistinct in nature or character, as ideas or feelings.
a vague premonition of disaster.
-
not clear or distinct to the sight or any other sense; perceptible or recognizable only in an indefinite way: vague murmurs behind a door.
vague shapes in the dark;
vague murmurs behind a door.
-
not definitely established, determined, confirmed, or known; uncertain.
a vague rumor;
The date of his birth is vague.
-
(of persons) not clear or definite in thought, understanding, or expression: a vague person.
vague about his motives;
a vague person.
-
(of the eyes, expression, etc.) showing lack of clear perception or understanding.
a vague stare.
adjective
-
(of statements, meaning, etc) not explicit; imprecise
vague promises
-
not clearly perceptible or discernible; indistinct
a vague idea
a vague shape
-
not clearly or definitely established or known
a vague rumour
-
(of a person or his expression) demonstrating lack of precision or clear thinking; absent-minded
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of vague
First recorded in 1540–50; from Middle French or directly from Latin vagus “wandering”
Explanation
If your grasp of physics is vague and you've got a test coming up, it's time to hit the books. When something is vague, it’s unclear, murky, and hard to understand. Vague comes from the Latin vagus, which means wandering or rambling. Think of a vagabond, someone who wanders around the world with only a vague idea of where he's going. There are a few big, impressive words for vague, including ambiguous, nebulous, and tenebrous.
Vocabulary lists containing vague
"Harrison Bergeron"
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"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from all 4 Acts
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List 5
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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.
See Examples For:
The demands do exist, even if they remain vague.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
Opponents say the proposition’s vague wording could result in vital services being excluded from the list of program expenses permitted in the 90% of revenues, prompting clinics to cut programs to avoid financial penalties.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
“And finally, the phrase ‘physically demanding’ is vague at best.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026
“They are super vague and very difficult to get any background info on,” Kao reassured him.
From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026
She only gives me vague half answers that don’t actually tell me anything.
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
Wednesday’s meeting suggests that by dialing back how much the Fed says, Warsh might pull more officials into alignment—if only around a vaguer message.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
By the time April 2020 rolled around, Gyllenhaal had moved into vaguer terminology.
From Salon ● May 27, 2026
Emilie Kouatchou’s Holly moves the character away from the obvious Christine McVie reference, but her role has become vaguer and less central.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 12, 2025
But this is a slightly vaguer way of phrasing it that pollsters tend to be more sceptical about.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2025
And the vaguer you told things, the better.
From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison
For months, his staff offered only the vaguest references to a medical issue, stonewalling reporters and leaving the voters of New Jersey’s seventh congressional district completely unrepresented.
From Salon ● Jul. 2, 2026
In its recent statement to customers, Liberty made only the vaguest of promises.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026
In Mr Gallant's "four corners" plan, the Palestinian component is perhaps the vaguest.
From BBC ● Jan. 6, 2024
Even now, far from home, he’s too scared to be identified beyond his last name and with only the vaguest military details.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 5, 2023
Riptide had been in his hand, but Percy had had no idea how he’d gotten there, and only the vaguest idea who he was.
From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan
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.
