vague

American  

[veyg] / veɪg /

adjective

vaguer, vaguest

1. not clearly or explicitly stated or expressed.

   vague promises.

   Synonyms:

   imprecise, unspecific

2. indefinite or indistinct in nature or character, as ideas or feelings.

   a vague premonition of disaster.

3. 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.

   Synonyms:

   shadowy, hazy, obscure

4. not definitely established, determined, confirmed, or known; uncertain.

   a vague rumor;

   The date of his birth is vague.

5. (of persons) not clear or definite in thought, understanding, or expression: a vague person.

   vague about his motives;

   a vague person.

6. (of the eyes, expression, etc.) showing lack of clear perception or understanding.

   a vague stare.

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vague British  

/ veɪɡ /

adjective

1. (of statements, meaning, etc) not explicit; imprecise

   vague promises

2. not clearly perceptible or discernible; indistinct

   a vague idea

   a vague shape

3. not clearly or definitely established or known

   a vague rumour

4. (of a person or his expression) demonstrating lack of precision or clear thinking; absent-minded

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Other Word Forms

• unvague adjective
• unvagueness noun
• vaguely adverb
• vagueness noun

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.

Example Sentences

However, “beyond that there are vague fears that the AI providers would either be directly competitive or be mated with other solutions to imitate Palantir.”

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

When Srinarmwong wrote in a way so as to protect confidential information, reviewers criticized the work as too short and vague, the suit said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

A spokesperson said that the "lack of information in our initial appeal, particularly regarding potential persons of interest, was because the descriptions given were vague and limited".

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

Rirdeshare Drivers United said drivers are often terminated for vague reasons and are met with endless automated chatbots when inquiring about their terminations.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026

Hecate offers you obscurity, choices, vague promises of magic.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

Related Words

• ambiguous
• dubious
• equivocal
• faint
• fuzzy
• hazy
• imprecise
• lax
• nebulous
• obscure
• uncertain
• unclear
• unsure