Synonyms for vague
- adjective
Most common
ill-defined indistinct obscure undefined ambiguous imprecise unsettled unclear
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Ill-defined — not sharply outlined; hazy
ill-defined, indistinct, obscure, undefined, hazy, nebulous, dim, fuzzy, indefinite, generic, undefinable, murky, general, weak, indeterminate, indefinable, subtle, undetermined, loose, lax, indistinguishable, unfixed
2. Ambiguous — not having a precise meaning
ambiguous, imprecise, uncertain, equivocal, evasive, doubtful, dubious, undecided
3. Unsettled — wandering; vagrant; vagabond
unsettled, random, erratic, vagrant, vagabond, desultory, wandering
4. Unclear — not clearly expressed; stated in indefinite terms
unclear, abstruse formal, inarticulate, unintelligible, incoherent
Definitions
- adj. 1
Not clearly expressed; stated in indefinite terms.
- adj. 2
Not having a precise meaning.
- adj. 3
Not sharply outlined; hazy.
- adj. 4
Wandering; vagrant; vagabond.
Example sentences
- hazy She felt weary and the world seemed a little hazy.
- undefined Now remember, our variable is still undefined.
- indistinct The squamosal bears an indistinct, gently curved ridge.
- ambiguous The main feature of this scheme is still ambiguous.
- imprecise Every translation is imprecise, every translation is free.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| vague | steady | |
| hazy | rising | |
| undefined | steady | |
| indistinct | falling | |
| ambiguous | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- dim1, lax1
- 4 letters
- weak1, hazy2
- 5 letters
- loose1, faint1, fuzzy2, murky2, dazed1, wispy2
- 6 letters
- random2, subtle2, vacant2
- 7 letters
- general3, generic3, obscure2, unclear2, dubious3, erratic3, shadowy3, evasive3, vagrant2, vacuous3, unfixed
- 8 letters
- doubtful2, nebulous3, vagabond3, abstruse2
- 9 letters
- uncertain3, wandering3, ambiguous4, undecided4, unsettled3, undefined3, imprecise3, equivocal4, desultory4
- 10 letters
- indefinite4, intangible4, incoherent4, indistinct3
- 11 letters
- indefinable5, undefinable
- 12 letters
- undetermined4, inarticulate5
- 13 letters
- indeterminate5
- 14 letters
- unintelligible6
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (hazy2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- vague
- Italiano
- vago
- Español
- vago
- Deutsch
- unbestimmt