vague en · ADJ
Pronunciation
Etymology
From Middle French vague, from Latin vagus (“uncertain, vague”, literally “wandering, rambling, strolling”).
Meanings
-
Not clearly expressed; stated in indefinite terms.
It follows from what has been said that a vague thought has more likelihood of being true than a precise one. To try and hit an object with a vague thought is like trying to hit the bull's eye with a lump of putty: when the putty reaches the target, it flattens out all over it, and probably covers the bull's eye along with the rest. To try and hit an object with a precise thought is like trying to hit the bull's eye with a bullet. The advantage of the precise thought is that it distinguishes between the bull's eye and the rest of the target.
1921, Bertrand Russell, The Analysis of Mind:Throughout the first week of his presidency, Dulles and Bissell continued to brief Kennedy on their strategy for Cuba, but the men were vague and their meetings offered little in the way of hard facts.
2004, Chris Wallace, Character: Profiles in Presidential Courage:
-
Not having a precise meaning.
a vague term of abuse
-
Not clearly defined, grasped, or understood; indistinct; slight.
a vague hint of a thickening waistline
only a vague notion of what’s needed
I haven’t the vaguest idea.
-
Not clearly felt or sensed; somewhat subconscious.
a vague longing
For though my nature rarely yields To that vague fear implied in death; Nor shudders at the gulfs beneath, The howlings from forgotten fields; […]
1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XL”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 62:
-
Not thinking or expressing one’s thoughts clearly or precisely.
Waxed-fleshed out-patients / Still vague from accidents, / And characters in long coats / Deep in the litter-baskets […]
1962, Philip Larkin, Toads Revisited:
- Lacking expression; vacant.
-
Not sharply outlined; hazy.
He walked. To the corner of Hamilton Place and Picadilly, and there stayed for a while, for it is a romantic station by night. The vague and careless rain looked like threads of gossamer silver passing across the light of the arc-lamps.
1922, Michael Arlen, “Ep./1/2”, in “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days:
-
Wandering; vagrant; vagabond.
She danced along with vague, regardless eyes, / Anxious her lips, her breathing quick and short: [...]
1819, John Keats, “The Eve of St. Agnes”, in Lamia, Isabella, the Eve of St. Agnes, and Other Poems, London: […] [Thomas Davison] for Taylor and Hessey, […], published 1820, →OCLC, stanza VIII, page 87:The Lord Gray incourag'd his men to set sharply upon the vague villains
1630, John Hayward, The Life and Raigne of King Edward VI:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| vaguest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| vaguer | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Antonyms
exact · perspicuous · precise · determinate · certain · clear · defined · definable · definite · distinct
Deriveds
vagueblog · vaguery · vaguebook · unvague · vaguish · nonvague · vagueish · gendervague
Hypernyms
Relateds
vaguely · gender-vague · mysterious · vagueness · vagus · vagabond · extravagant · gay vague · noctivagant · vagary
Synonyms
ill-defined · inenubilable · incomprehensible · unsettled · vacant · equivocal · murky · Chinese · muzzy · vagrant · indistinct · ununderstandable · thick · hazy · ineffable · equivocal · hazy · nebulous · insensible · dazed · undefined · indefinite · fuzzy · generic · bottomless · inexplicable · fuzzy · erratic · ambiguous · inscrutable · vague · imperspicuous · enigmatic · retruse · indistinguishable · fuzzy · woolly · ill-marked · distant · insoluble · fathomless · nonunderstandable · turbid · uncertain · ill-defined · undecipherable · Greek · undefined · gray · unclear · abstruse · indistinct · tenebrose · ambiguous · incognizable · ungraspable · unknowable · impenetrable · unfathomable · insolvable · indistinct · vagabond · obscure · inapprehensible · indeterminate · indefinite · unintelligible · vague · undefinable · inarticulate · unexplainable · imprecise · unclear · roaming · dim · ambiguous · obscure · vacuous · equivocal · dense · undiscoverable · mysterious · obscure
Translations (126)
he לא ברור (not clearly expressed) · mi makaro (not clearly felt or sensed) · mi hākirikiri (not clearly expressed) · cmn 糢糊 (not clearly expressed) · pt vago (not clearly defined, grasped, or understood) · mi waowao (not having a precise meaning) · mi makaro (not clearly felt or sensed) · ru нечёткий (not clearly expressed) · et ebaselge (not clearly defined, grasped, or understood) · mi hākirikiri (not clearly felt or sensed) · nl vaag (not having a precise meaning) · sv vag (not clearly expressed) · fi epämääräinen (not clearly felt or sensed) · de leicht (not clearly felt or sensed) · es vago (not clearly expressed) · tr belirsiz (not having a precise meaning) · fi epätarkka (not having a precise meaning) · et ebamäärane (not clearly felt or sensed) · mk магловит (not clearly expressed) · eo svaga (not thinking or expressing one’s thoughts clearly or precisely) · tr karanlık (not clearly expressed) · eo svaga (not clearly defined, grasped, or understood) · de ungewiss (not clearly expressed) · de schwach (not clearly expressed) · et ähmane (not sharply outlined) · mi waowao (not clearly expressed) · eo svaga (not clearly expressed) · bg смътен (not clearly felt or sensed) · mi mōnehunehu (not sharply outlined) · de verschwommen (not clearly expressed) · es desvaído (not clearly expressed) · et ebamäärane (not clearly defined, grasped, or understood) · ru неопределённый (not clearly expressed) · bg неопределен (not clearly defined, grasped, or understood) · bg неясно изразен (lacking expression) · mi hākirikiri (not clearly defined, grasped, or understood) · fi epämääräinen (not clearly defined, grasped, or understood) · cs vágní (not clearly expressed) · he מעורפל (not clearly expressed) · sv oklar (not clearly expressed) · ka ბუნდოვანი (not clearly expressed) · ka გაუგებარი (not clearly felt or sensed) · gl vago (not clearly felt or sensed) · tr üstü kapalı (not clearly expressed) · gl impreciso (not clearly expressed) · fi epäselvä (not thinking or expressing one’s thoughts clearly or precisely) · tr müphem (not clearly defined, grasped, or understood) · pt vago (not clearly expressed) · fi ympäripyöreä (not clearly expressed) · bg размазан (not sharply outlined) · ru расплы́вчатый (not clearly expressed) · gl vago (lacking expression) · gl difuso (not sharply outlined) · bg неопределен (not having a precise meaning) · gl vago (not thinking or expressing one’s thoughts clearly or precisely) · fi epätarkka (not sharply outlined) · ka გაუგებარი (not clearly expressed) · pdt onbestemt (not clearly expressed) · pt vago (not sharply outlined) · mk неодреден (not clearly expressed) · eo svaga (not having a precise meaning) · et ebamäärane (not having a precise meaning) · gl vago (not clearly expressed) · eo svaga (not sharply outlined) · tr bulanık (not clearly expressed) · uk нея́сни́й (not sharply outlined) · et ebaselge (not clearly felt or sensed) · nl vaag (not clearly expressed) · de undeutlich (not clearly expressed) · de ungenau (not clearly expressed) · gl impreciso (lacking expression) · lad indechizo (not clearly expressed) · fi epämääräinen (not clearly expressed) · mi ngau (not clearly expressed) · fa مبهم (not clearly expressed) · la vagus (not clearly expressed) · tr muğlak (not clearly expressed) · fi hämärä (not thinking or expressing one’s thoughts clearly or precisely) · tr müphem (not clearly expressed) · grc ἀμυδρός (not clearly defined, grasped, or understood) · pt vago (lacking expression) · et ähmane (not clearly felt or sensed) · it vago (not clearly expressed) · ka გაურკვეველი (not clearly expressed) · ko 흐리다 (not sharply outlined) · vi mông lung (not clearly defined, grasped, or understood) · tr belirsiz (not clearly defined, grasped, or understood) · ka ბუნდოვანი (not having a precise meaning) · he עמום (not clearly expressed) · cmn 模糊 (not clearly expressed) · ca vague (not clearly expressed) · de nebelhaft (not clearly expressed) · pt vago (not clearly felt or sensed) · pt vago (not having a precise meaning) · ka გაურკვეველი (not clearly defined, grasped, or understood) · ru нея́сный (not clearly expressed) · mi makaro (not sharply outlined) · gl impreciso (not thinking or expressing one’s thoughts clearly or precisely) · el ασαφής (not clearly expressed) · mi kāwekaweka (not clearly expressed) · ka გაუგებარი (not clearly defined, grasped, or understood) · gl vago (not clearly defined, grasped, or understood) · ka გაურკვეველი (not clearly felt or sensed) · tr anlaşılmaz (not clearly expressed) · fr vague (not clearly felt or sensed) · pl niejasny (not clearly expressed) · fr vague (not clearly expressed) · tr şüpheli (not clearly expressed) · fi epämääräinen (not having a precise meaning) · mk нејасен (not clearly expressed) · gl vago (not having a precise meaning) · mi hārau (not clearly felt or sensed) · tr müphem (not having a precise meaning) · mi hāraurau (not clearly felt or sensed) · de vage (not clearly expressed) · kk белгісіз (not clearly expressed) · pt vago (not thinking or expressing one’s thoughts clearly or precisely) · bg неясен (not clearly expressed) · vi mơ hồ (not clearly defined, grasped, or understood) · ja 漠然とした (not clearly expressed) · tr belirsiz (not clearly expressed) · mi whekowheko (not sharply outlined) · uk нея́сни́й (not clearly expressed) · ja 曖昧 (not clearly expressed) · de unklar (not clearly expressed) · el αόριστος (not clearly expressed)