Synonyms for vague
veɪgvague

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:4.5 / 4 votes

1. vagueadjective

   Synonyms:
   ambiguous, obscure

2. vagueadjective

   not clearly expressed; stated in indefinite terms.

   Synonyms:
   ambiguous, obscure

3. vagueadjective

   not having a precise meaning.

   a vague term of abuse

   Synonyms:
   obscure, ambiguous

4. vagueadjective

   not clearly defined, grasped, or understood; indistinct; slight.

   Synonyms:
   ambiguous, obscure

5. vagueadjective

   not clearly felt or sensed; somewhat subconscious.

   a vague longing

   Synonyms:
   obscure, ambiguous

6. vagueadjective

   not thinking or expressing one’s thoughts clearly or precisely.

   Synonyms:
   obscure, ambiguous

7. vagueadjective

   lacking expression; vacant.

   Synonyms:
   obscure, ambiguous

8. vagueadjective

   not sharply outlined; hazy.

   Synonyms:
   ambiguous, obscure

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:2.3 / 3 votes

1. vague

   Synonyms:
   ambiguous, cloudy, dim, dubious, foggy, indistinct, mysterious, obscure, opaque, turbid, unintelligible

   Antonyms:
   apparent, clear, diaphanous, distinct, evident, explicit, intelligible, limpid, lucid, manifest, obvious, pellucid, perspicuous, plain, straightforward, translucent, transparent, unadorned, unambiguous, unequivocal, unmistakable

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:3.5 / 2 votes

1. vague

   Synonyms:
   general, lax, indefinite, undetermined, popular, intangible, equivocal, unsettled, uncertain, ill-defined, pointless

   Antonyms:
   strict, definite, determined, limited, scientific, pointed, specific

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:3.7 / 3 votes

1. obscure, vagueadjective

   not clearly understood or expressed

   "an obscure turn of phrase"; "an impulse to go off and fight certain obscure battles of his own spirit"-Anatole Broyard; "their descriptions of human behavior become vague, dull, and unclear"- P.A.Sorokin; "vague...forms of speech...have so long passed for mysteries of science"- John Locke

   Synonyms:
   unnoticeable, dark, hidden, faint, shadowy, unknown, apart(p), dim, isolated, undefined, wispy, obscure, unsung

   Antonyms:
   distinct, clear

2. undefined, vagueadjective

   not precisely limited, determined, or distinguished

   "an undefined term"; "undefined authority"; "some undefined sense of excitement"; "vague feelings of sadness"; "a vague uneasiness"

   Synonyms:
   obscure, faint, shadowy, wispy, dim, undefined

   Antonyms:
   distinct, clear

3. dim, faint, shadowy, vague, wispyadjective

   lacking clarity or distinctness

   "a dim figure in the distance"; "only a faint recollection"; "shadowy figures in the gloom"; "saw a vague outline of a building through the fog"; "a few wispy memories of childhood"

   Synonyms:
   weak, shady, dull, dim, wraithlike, dumb, shadowed, dense, faint-hearted, timid, undefined, swooning, dimmed, black, umbrageous, fainthearted, subdued, feeble, faint, lightheaded, obscure, wispy, obtuse, light, shadowy, light-headed, wisplike, bleak, slow

   Antonyms:
   distinct, clear

Editors ContributionRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. bair

   barely, rarely, nearly, somewhat, scarcely, merely,

   Submitted by rinat on May 31, 2023  

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. vagueadjective

   Synonyms:
   uncertain, ambiguous, dim, doubtful, obscure, undetermined, indefinite, indistinct, unsettled, loose, lax, unfixed, not precise, not exact

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:4.0 / 2 votes

1. vagueadjective

   Synonyms:
   indefinite, ambiguous, obscure, uncertain, groundless, hazy, indistinct

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "vague":

   wave, waves, unclear, imprecise, ambiguous, woolly, obscure, blurred, mysterious, fuzzy, inaccurate, shadowy, uncertain, unspecific, hazy, diffuse, vagueness, tide, opaque, sketchy, evasive, spate

How to pronounce vague?

How to say vague in sign language?

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

1. [["1515","3"],["1541","1"],["1564","1"],["1572","2"],["1584","3"],["1595","2"],["1607","2"],["1635","3"],["1637","1"],["1644","18"],["1649","2"],["1657","1"],["1669","1"],["1673","1"],["1675","2"],["1677","4"],["1678","1"],["1680","2"],["1681","1"],["1683","2"],["1689","2"],["1690","1"],["1693","2"],["1697","1"],["1698","1"],["1700","2"],["1701","2"],["1705","1"],["1706","13"],["1708","1"],["1709","1"],["1710","4"],["1711","4"],["1712","2"],["1713","2"],["1714","9"],["1716","2"],["1719","2"],["1721","1"],["1722","11"],["1724","3"],["1725","2"],["1726","2"],["1727","5"],["1728","2"],["1729","2"],["1730","6"],["1731","6"],["1732","6"],["1733","15"],["1734","5"],["1735","1"],["1736","3"],["1737","11"],["1738","10"],["1739","5"],["1740","9"],["1741","17"],["1742","8"],["1743","8"],["1744","15"],["1745","6"],["1746","9"],["1747","30"],["1748","40"],["1749","29"],["1750","46"],["1751","75"],["1752","30"],["1753","57"],["1754","152"],["1755","83"],["1756","65"],["1757","72"],["1758","68"],["1759","114"],["1760","70"],["1761","84"],["1762","97"],["1763","107"],["1764","94"],["1765","91"],["1766","139"],["1767","116"],["1768","159"],["1769","107"],["1770","146"],["1771","71"],["1772","131"],["1773","106"],["1774","143"],["1775","207"],["1776","164"],["1777","164"],["1778","140"],["1779","115"],["1780","105"],["1781","274"],["1782","159"],["1783","215"],["1784","183"],["1785","205"],["1786","198"],["1787","420"],["1788","567"],["1789","319"],["1790","303"],["1791","349"],["1792","610"],["1793","302"],["1794","338"],["1795","414"],["1796","413"],["1797","346"],["1798","330"],["1799","499"],["1800","820"],["1801","717"],["1802","926"],["1803","830"],["1804","1055"],["1805","846"],["1806","1025"],["1807","978"],["1808","822"],["1809","1120"],["1810","1123"],["1811","1784"],["1812","1025"],["1813","1220"],["1814","1250"],["1815","1359"],["1816","1315"],["1817","1519"],["1818","1495"],["1819","1473"],["1820","1948"],["1821","1595"],["1822","2218"],["1823","1923"],["1824","2652"],["1825","2787"],["1826","2397"],["1827","3187"],["1828","2645"],["1829","3220"],["1830","3085"],["1831","3412"],["1832","3337"],["1833","3478"],["1834","3648"],["1835","4504"],["1836","4543"],["1837","3985"],["1838","4798"],["1839","4587"],["1840","5726"],["1841","4841"],["1842","3662"],["1843","5171"],["1844","4763"],["1845","5422"],["1846","5935"],["1847","6103"],["1848","6787"],["1849","6771"],["1850","6985"],["1851","6961"],["1852","7505"],["1853","8501"],["1854","8979"],["1855","7732"],["1856","8603"],["1857","7601"],["1858","8397"],["1859","7140"],["1860","8836"],["1861","6320"],["1862","5918"],["1863","6093"],["1864","7417"],["1865","7315"],["1866","7931"],["1867","8102"],["1868","7979"],["1869","8542"],["1870","8693"],["1871","9389"],["1872","9342"],["1873","9698"],["1874","10734"],["1875","10369"],["1876","10887"],["1877","11432"],["1878","9865"],["1879","11503"],["1880","13611"],["1881","12186"],["1882","14055"],["1883","17860"],["1884","14770"],["1885","14865"],["1886","13040"],["1887","15658"],["1888","12988"],["1889","13569"],["1890","15001"],["1891","15730"],["1892","18698"],["1893","17032"],["1894","18006"],["1895","18410"],["1896","22897"],["1897","20586"],["1898","20687"],["1899","24738"],["1900","26529"],["1901","25244"],["1902","25473"],["1903","24928"],["1904","24949"],["1905","24370"],["1906","23705"],["1907","26853"],["1908","26844"],["1909","24444"],["1910","25468"],["1911","24049"],["1912","25671"],["1913","24348"],["1914","23696"],["1915","20389"],["1916","21397"],["1917","22757"],["1918","18726"],["1919","21187"],["1920","26109"],["1921","23879"],["1922","26973"],["1923","23483"],["1924","22539"],["1925","22526"],["1926","20302"],["1927","23116"],["1928","23758"],["1929","22469"],["1930","24135"],["1931","22822"],["1932","19492"],["1933","17428"],["1934","22337"],["1935","22341"],["1936","22600"],["1937","22171"],["1938","21317"],["1939","21676"],["1940","19233"],["1941","18696"],["1942","17209"],["1943","13902"],["1944","13374"],["1945","15306"],["1946","21712"],["1947","23579"],["1948","24995"],["1949","27661"],["1950","29401"],["1951","27825"],["1952","27733"],["1953","26752"],["1954","28467"],["1955","29451"],["1956","30827"],["1957","33755"],["1958","32778"],["1959","34329"],["1960","39107"],["1961","43511"],["1962","47132"],["1963","49693"],["1964","49229"],["1965","54393"],["1966","57086"],["1967","59734"],["1968","66602"],["1969","64886"],["1970","68602"],["1971","65060"],["1972","64987"],["1973","62482"],["1974","59240"],["1975","58321"],["1976","60881"],["1977","62464"],["1978","61579"],["1979","61369"],["1980","61167"],["1981","62056"],["1982","63505"],["1983","63186"],["1984","67467"],["1985","67996"],["1986","73163"],["1987","73742"],["1988","75856"],["1989","79207"],["1990","84126"],["1991","83514"],["1992","87164"],["1993","87112"],["1994","93140"],["1995","95341"],["1996","100398"],["1997","99893"],["1998","104881"],["1999","113587"],["2000","123258"],["2001","125045"],["2002","135019"],["2003","147543"],["2004","169106"],["2005","156353"],["2006","174229"],["2007","200509"],["2008","287093"]]

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use vague in a sentence?

1. Stefan Oliva:

   Even those very, very vague threats are enough to scare wholesalers and processors that are relying on consumers, if there is a border shutdown, they will have to circumvent the border and pay an extreme premium.

2. High Commissioner Zeid Ra'ad Al-Hussein:

   Taheri's multiple convictions on a variety of vague charges, his alleged detention in solitary confinement and now his sentencing to death bring into stark focus serious issues with the administration of justice and the terribly worrying use of the death penalty in Iran, for an individual to be sentenced to death for peaceful exercise of freedom of expression, religion or belief is an absolute outrage -- and a clear violation of international human rights law.

3. Ike Wingate:

   I saw the story somewhere online talking about how the billboard was rejected— a little bit vague on the details as far as who and why—but it was rejected because of the messaging and my understanding that it was going to incite feelings that would not be desirable around the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, when I saw that I thought ‘that’s too bad’…I thought ‘wow it’s a shame they are not able to promote that from the standpoint of the film’ but then from a secondary standpoint the right to free speech was in some senses denied, so I didn't like that.

4. Andrew Knapp:

   Vague laws lend themselves to arbitrary enforcement, which can be used in a discriminatory way.

5. Seth Noar:

   Smokers know that cigarettes are bad for them, but they likely tune out vague warnings that they have seen for years, such as ` smoking causes cancer, ’ seeing images of diseased lungs and people suffering from the negative health impacts of smoking appear to affect smokers in ways that simple text-only messages can not achieve.