vague
Pronounced:
/ˈveɪg/
Function:
adjectiveInflected forms:
vagu·er; vagu·estMeaning:
[also more vague; most vague] 1 a : not clear in meaning : stated in a way that is general and not specific ▪ 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. b : not thinking or expressing your thoughts clearly or precisely ▪ She has been vague about her plans for college. ▪ When I asked him what they talked about, he was rather vague. [=he did not tell me exactly what they talked about]
2 a : not completely formed or developed ▪ vague memories/recollections ▪ We had only a vague idea/notion of where we were. ▪ I think I have a vague understanding of how it works. ▪ He bore a vague resemblance to the famous actor. [=he looked a little like the famous actor] b : not able to be described clearly : not clearly or strongly felt ▪ 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. synonyms 1obscure
3 : not able to be seen clearly ▪ vague [=indistinct] figures in the distance ▪ We could just barely make out the vague outline of a plane in the sky.