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
- 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”
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.
The book chronicles her "vague feelings" before the trial: "The closer it got, the more I imagined myself becoming a hostage to their stares, their lies, their cowardice, and their contempt," she wrote.
From Barron's
Browne, the pharmacist, on the other hand, said she was purposely vague about her procedure at work.
Takaichi has promised public spending, inflation relief and tax cuts, but critics say the details remain vague.
From BBC
Right now, the threat posed by AI is vague.
The legality of this is complicated — partially because the request is quite vague.
From Salon
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.
