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vague

adj
/veɪɡ/

Etymology

From Middle French vague, from Latin vagus (“uncertain, vague”, literally “wandering, rambling, strolling”).

  1. derived from vagus — “uncertain, vague”
  2. derived from vague

Definitions

  1. Not clearly expressed

    Not clearly expressed; stated in indefinite terms.

    • 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.

  2. Not having a precise meaning.

    • a vague term of abuse

  3. Not clearly defined, grasped, or understood

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

    • only a vague notion of what’s needed
    • a vague hint of a thickening waistline
    • I haven’t the vaguest idea.
  4. ›+ 10 more definitions

    1. Not clearly felt or sensed

      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; […]

    2. 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 […]

    3. Lacking expression

      Lacking expression; vacant.

    4. Not sharply outlined

      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.

    5. Wandering

      Wandering; vagrant; vagabond.

      • The Lord Gray incourag'd his men to set sharply upon the vague villains
      • She danced along with vague, regardless eyes, / Anxious her lips, her breathing quick and short: [...]

    6. An indefinite expanse.

      • The gray vague of unsympathizing sea / That dragged his fancy from her moorings back / To shores inhospitable of eldest time.

    7. A wandering

      A wandering; a vagary.

      • [T]he Scots had some leasure to plaie their vagues

    8. to wander

      to wander; to roam; to stray.

      • [The soul] doth vague and wander.

    9. To become vague or act in a vague manner.

      • Vaguely, yes. I've vagued all my life; that's been my curse.
      • A man's mind vagued up a little, for how can you remember the feel of pleasure or pain or choking emotion?
      • What's with you? You're all vagued out.

    10. To make vague negative comments publicly

      To make vague negative comments publicly; to make highly veiled complaints or insults.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at vague. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

01vague02stated03written04write05author06living07live08survive09concept10generic

A definitional loop anchored at vague. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

10 hops · closes at vague

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA