nebulous

[neb-yuh-luhs]

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.

nebulous

/ 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

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of nebulous¹

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

Then there are the missing details about the nature of the screen time itself: the term is far too nebulous, argues Prof Etchells.

From BBC

Soon, it felt like there was a nebulous wall between the two of us, fluid enough that we could reach across to one another but too thick to make contact.

From Salon

For now, however, the path is “still too nebulous to recommend for anyone but someone who has the ability to take some risks around time and cost,” Loescher said in an email.

From Los Angeles Times

The claim that body doubles or clones have replaced some celebrities for nebulous and nefarious reasons holds some purchase among members of the far-right.

From Salon

A guideline that involves “shared decision-making,” Chin-Hong said, “is a very nebulous recommendation, and it doesn’t result in a lot of people getting vaccines.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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