vague

[veyg]

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.

vague

/ 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

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of vague¹

First recorded in 1540–50; from Middle French or directly from Latin vagus “wandering”

Word History and Origins

Origin of vague¹

C16: via French from Latin vagus wandering, of obscure origin

Example Sentences

Details so far are vague, but air support could include help with air defence or intelligence.

From BBC

Standing beneath a Therrien table does, indeed, produce vague — sometimes unsettling — recollections of being a small human in a not-yet-understood world of big things.

From Los Angeles Times

But this is a slightly vaguer way of phrasing it that pollsters tend to be more sceptical about.

From BBC

Predictably keeping things as vague as possible to protect his scheme, Sunseri said it would be balanced and physical while stretching the defense to make it cover “every blade of grass.”

From Los Angeles Times

He also argues that the 900 million viewers figure is "extremely unlikely" and describes online views as a vague and easily manipulated metric.

From BBC

Related Words

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