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vague

adjective

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\ ˈvāg

vaguer; vaguest

Definition of vague

1a : not clearly expressed : stated in indefinite terms vague accusations

b : not having a precise meaning a vague term of abuse

2a : not clearly defined, grasped, or understood : indistinct only a vague notion of what's needed also : slight a vague hint of a thickening waistline hasn't the vaguest idea

b : not clearly felt or sensed : somewhat subconscious a vague longing

3 : not thinking or expressing one's thoughts clearly or precisely vague about dates and places

4 : lacking expression : vacant vague eyes a vague stare

5 : not sharply outlined : hazy met by vague figures with shaded torchlights— Earle Birney

Other Words from vague Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about vague

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Choose the Right Synonym for vague

obscure, dark, vague, enigmatic, cryptic, ambiguous, equivocal mean not clearly understandable. obscure implies a hiding or veiling of meaning through some inadequacy of expression or withholding of full knowledge. obscure poems dark implies an imperfect or clouded revelation often with ominous or sinister suggestion. muttered dark hints of revenge vague implies a lack of clear formulation due to inadequate conception or consideration. a vague sense of obligation enigmatic stresses a puzzling, mystifying quality. enigmatic occult writings cryptic implies a purposely concealed meaning. cryptic hints of hidden treasure ambiguous applies to language capable of more than one interpretation. an ambiguous directive equivocal applies to language left open to differing interpretations with the intention of deceiving or evading. moral precepts with equivocal phrasing

Examples of vague in a Sentence

When my three years of military service ended, I looked around for some way to get to spend time in rural Vietnam as a civilian. The driving force was still primarily intellectual curiosity, along with a desire to improve my language ability in a non-Western language and some vague idea of doing folkloristic or literary studies in the future. — Neil L. Jamieson, Understanding Vietnam, (1993) 1995 There are vague memories in our souls of those misty centuries when the world was in its childhood. — Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet, 1887 At the end of half an hour Tom had a vague general idea of his lesson, but no more, for his mind was traversing the whole field of human thought, and his hands were busy with distracting recreations. — Mark Twain, Tom Sawyer, 1876 It thrilled him with a vague uncertain horror, to know that behind the dusky shroud, there were ghostly eyes intently fixed upon him, while he, though he stretched his own to the utmost, could see nothing but a spectral hand and one great heap of black. — Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol, 1843 The instructions she left were vague and difficult to follow. He gave only a vague answer. The judges determined that the law was too vague to be fairly enforced. She has been vague about her plans for college. We had only a vague idea of where we were. I think I have a vague understanding of how it works. He longed in some vague way for something different. She felt a vague sense of uneasiness when she was around him. I had the vague impression that they were withholding information. We could just barely make out the vague outline of a plane in the sky.

Recent Examples on the Web The coronavirus pandemic at that point felt vague, not quite real, and Daub took it lightly. — Sandra Upson, Wired, "Covid, Schools, and the High-Stakes Experiment No One Wanted," 18 Jan. 2021 Bickerstaff continues to be vague about Porter's status. — Brian Dulik, Star Tribune, "Jazz end shortened trip with 117-87 win over depleted Cavs," 12 Jan. 2021 Intel was somewhat vague about the specifications of the new 4-core/8-thread, 10nm H35 processors in advance of the launch. — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, "Meet Tiger Lake H35, Intel's new bid for ultraportable gaming laptops," 11 Jan. 2021 Shift your outlook and self-perception to understand that this is just a passing influence and not the truth. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): This isn’t a good time to be vague about your intentions or defend unattainable ideals. — Tribune Content Agency, oregonlive, "Horoscope for Dec. 28, 2020: Aries, be ontime; Sagittarius, tread carefully around relationships," 28 Dec. 2020 Head coach Mike McCarthy was vague about Moore’s future while stressing how much the organization thinks about the young assistant. — David Moore, Dallas News, "Mike McCarthy vague about Kellen Moore’s future with Cowboys following win over Eagles," 27 Dec. 2020 Despite the pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic, this has been a landmark year for net-zero climate commitments by governments (and by companies), from Japan to Canada, although many of the details of how those targets are still vague. — Katherine Dunn, Fortune, "Europe goes all in on its net-zero pledge, backing tough new emissions targets —but not without a fight," 11 Dec. 2020 Now, as peace talks in Doha, Qatar, show signs of progress and the United States pushes forward with an accelerated troop withdrawal, U.S. officials have been vague when pressed to respond to questions about ties between the two groups. — Washington Post, "Behind the Taliban’s ties to al-Qaeda: A shared ideology and decades of battlefield support," 8 Dec. 2020 Being vague can leave people guessing and lead to unnecessary anxiety. — Kathryn Vasel, CNN, "So long, Silicon Valley!," 8 Dec. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'vague.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

23 Jan 2021

Cite this Entry

“Vague.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vague. Accessed 26 Jan. 2021.

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More Definitions for vague

vague

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of vague

: not clear in meaning : stated in a way that is general and not specific

: not thinking or expressing your thoughts clearly or precisely

: not completely formed or developed

See the full definition for vague in the English Language Learners Dictionary

vague

adjective

\ ˈvāg

vaguer; vaguest

Kids Definition of vague

1 : not clearly expressed a vague answer

2 : not clearly understood or sensed They knew in a vague way what they wanted.

3 : not clearly outlined At first Rosalind could see only vague shapes …— Jeanne Birdsall, The Penderwicks

vague

adjective

\ ˈvāg

Legal Definition of vague

: characterized by such a lack of precision that a person of ordinary intelligence would have to guess if particular conduct is being proscribed : characterized by a failure to describe forbidden conduct in terms sufficient to provide fair warning an unconstitutionally vague law — see also void-for-vagueness doctrine — compare overbroad

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