vague
not clearly or explicitly stated or expressed: vague promises.
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 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: vague about his motives;a vague person.
(of the eyes, expression, etc.) showing lack of clear perception or understanding: a vague stare.
Origin of vague
1Other words for vague
Other words from vague
- vague·ly, adverb
- vague·ness, noun
- un·vague, adjective
- un·vague·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use vague in a sentence
First is this: the vaguer the dispatches, the sicker the patient.
Bob Dole & George H.W. Bush Hospitalized: How to Interpret Illness of Public Figures | Kent Sepkowitz | November 30, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTBut if we cannot tell what mere subsistence requires are we not getting even vaguer when we add an indefinite "more" to it?
Consumers and Wage-Earners | J. Elliot RossBut he looked worse, his eyes vaguer, giving the impression of a man in a stupor.
The Life of James McNeill Whistler | Elizabeth Robins PennellTwice, it seemed to me, far to the east I heard a duller, vaguer noise of thunder; and my Indians also noticed it.
The Little Red Foot | Robert W. ChambersThere had been vague reports from vaguer sources that he had been captured by the northern savages.
Port O' Gold | Louis John Stellman
The vaguer and more complex these movements on account of their historical remoteness, the wider their probable range.
Influences of Geographic Environment | Ellen Churchill Semple
British Dictionary definitions for vague
/ (veɪɡ) /
(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
Origin of vague
1Derived forms of vague
- vaguely, adverb
- vagueness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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