What does "vague" mean?
An indefinite expanse.
Vague
/veɪɡ/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An indefinite expanse.
- Grammar: vague is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: abstract, abstract noun, address oral inarticulacy, adumbrating.
- Useful contrasts: certain, clear, definable.
- Usage evidence: This meeting is a waste of time. Everybody is just talking in vague theoretical terms.
How to use "vague"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "vague" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "vague" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "vague" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "vague" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "vague" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abstract" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "vague", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An indefinite expanse.
"The gray vague of unsympathizing sea / That dragged his fancy from her moorings back / To shores inhospitable of eldest time."
- 2 A wandering; a vagary. obsolete
"[T]he Scots had some leasure to plaie their vagues"
Verb
- 1 to wander; to roam; to stray. archaic
"[The soul] doth vague and wander."
- 2 To become vague or act in a vague manner.
"Vaguely, yes. I've vagued all my life; that's been my curse."
- 3 To make vague negative comments publicly; to make highly veiled complaints or insults. Internet, intransitive
Adjective
- 1 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."
- 2 Not having a precise meaning.
"a vague term of abuse"
- 3 Not clearly defined, grasped, or understood; indistinct; slight.
"only a vague notion of what’s needed"
- 4 Not clearly felt or sensed; somewhat subconscious.
"a vague longing"
- 5 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 […]"
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 Lacking expression; vacant.
- 7 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."
- 8 Wandering; vagrant; vagabond.
"The Lord Gray incourag'd his men to set sharply upon the vague villains"
Adjective
- 1 not clearly expressed or understood wordnet
- 2 not precisely limited, determined, or distinguished wordnet
- 3 lacking clarity or distinctness wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"This meeting is a waste of time. Everybody is just talking in vague theoretical terms."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "vague"?
Common synonyms include: abstract, abstract noun, address oral inarticulacy, adumbrating, aimless, airy.
How do you use "vague" in a sentence?
This meeting is a waste of time. Everybody is just talking in vague theoretical terms.
How do you pronounce "vague"?
Pronounced /veɪɡ/.
Etymology
From Middle French vague, from Latin vagus (“uncertain, vague”, literally “wandering, rambling, strolling”).