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Vague - 8 dictionary results

vague

  [veyg] ,
Use Vague in a Sentence
–adjective, va⋅guer, va⋅guest.
1. not clearly or explicitly stated or expressed: vague promises.
2. indefinite or indistinct in nature or character, as ideas or feelings: a vague premonition of disaster.
3. not clear or distinct to the sight or any other sense; perceptible or recognizable only in an indefinite way: vague shapes in the dark; vague murmurs behind a door.
4. not definitely established, determined, confirmed, or known; uncertain: a vague rumor; The date of his birth is vague.
5. (of persons) not clear or definite in thought, understanding, or expression: vague about his motives; a vague person.
6. (of the eyes, expression, etc.) showing lack of clear perception or understanding: a vague stare.
Origin:
1540–50; (< MF) < L vagus wandering

Related forms:
vaguely, adverb
vagueness, noun

Synonyms:
1. unspecific, imprecise. 3. obscure, hazy, shadowy.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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vague   (vāg)   
adj.   vagu·er, vagu·est
  1. Not clearly expressed; inexplicit.
  2. Not thinking or expressing oneself clearly.
  3. Lacking definite shape, form, or character; indistinct: saw a vague outline of a building through the fog.
  4. Not clear in meaning or application. See Synonyms at ambiguous.
  5. Indistinctly felt, perceived, understood, or recalled; hazy: a vague uneasiness.

[French, from Old French, wandering, from Latin vagus.]
vague'ly adv., vague'ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Vague

Vague\ (v[=a]g), a. [Compar. Vaguer (v[=a]g"[~e]r); superl. Vaguest.] [F. vague, or L. vagus. See Vague, v. i.]

1. Wandering; vagrant; vagabond. [Archaic] "To set upon the vague villains." --Hayward.

She danced along with vague, regardless eyes. --Keats.

2. Unsettled; unfixed; undetermined; indefinite; ambiguous; as, a vague idea; a vague proposition.

This faith is neither a mere fantasy of future glory, nor a vague ebullition of feeling. --I. Taylor.

The poet turned away, and gave himself up to a sort of vague revery, which he called thought. --Hawthorne.

3. Proceeding from no known authority; unauthenticated; uncertain; flying; as, a vague report.

Some legend strange and vague. --Longfellow.

Vague year. See Sothiac year, under Sothiac.

Syn: Unsettled; indefinite; unfixed; ill-defined; ambiguous; hazy; loose; lax; uncertain.

Vague

Vague\, n. [Cf. F. vague.] An indefinite expanse. [R.]

The gray vague of unsympathizing sea. --Lowell.

Vague

Vague\, v. i. [F. vaguer, L. vagari, fr. vagus roaming.] To wander; to roam; to stray. [Obs.] "[The soul] doth vague and wander." --Holland.

Vague

Vague\, n. A wandering; a vagary. [Obs.] --Holinshed.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : Vague
Spanish: vago,
German: unbestimmt,
Japanese: ぼんやりした
More Translations »

vague 
1548, from M.Fr. vague, from L. vagus "wandering, rambling, vacillating, vague," of unknown origin.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Main Entry: vague
Pronunciation: 'vAg
Function: 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 vague law> —see also VOID-FOR-VAGUENESS DOCTRINE —compare OVERBROAD —vague·ly adverb —vague·ness noun
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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