vaguer; vaguest
1
a
: not clearly expressed : stated in indefinite terms
vague accusations
b
: not having a precise meaning
a vague term of abuse
2
a
: not clearly defined, grasped, or understood : indistinct
only a vague notion of what's needed
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
Earle Birney
vagueness
noun
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.
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
There are vague references to Wyler’s work in Kabul and Beirut and her concerns for Afghan women after the U.S. withdrew from the country.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2024
Donald Trump’s housing proposals are vague and sometimes nonsensical.
—Kim Velsey, Curbed, 11 Nov. 2024
The controversial case involves billions of dollars for hospitals, pits not-for-profit hospitals against rural and for-profit facilities, and tests the broader legal theory of whether federal agencies can take matters into their own hands when laws are vague.
—Maya Goldman, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
The setup instructions were vague and the app was difficult to navigate.
—Jordana Comiter, People.com, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for vague 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2024
Donald Trump’s housing proposals are vague and sometimes nonsensical.
—Kim Velsey, Curbed, 11 Nov. 2024
The controversial case involves billions of dollars for hospitals, pits not-for-profit hospitals against rural and for-profit facilities, and tests the broader legal theory of whether federal agencies can take matters into their own hands when laws are vague.
—Maya Goldman, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
The setup instructions were vague and the app was difficult to navigate.
—Jordana Comiter, People.com, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for vague
Dictionary Entries Near vague
Cite this Entry
“Vague.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vague. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
vague
adjective
vaguer; vaguest
1
: not clearly expressed
a vague answer
2
: not clearly understood or sensed
only a vague idea of where we were
3
: not clearly outlined : indistinct, shadowy
vague figures in the mist
vaguely
adverb
vagueness
noun
Legal Definition
vague
adjective
: 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
vaguely
adverb
vagueness
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share