vaguely

adverb

vague·​ly ˈvāg-lē 

: in a vague way: such as

a

: somewhat or slightly

He's vaguely familiar with the area.

… men on foot, dressed vaguely like janitors …

—A. L. Kennedy

b

: not clearly

There were grants, he explained vaguely, that had to be spent before the money went back to the federal government, so my main job was to buy lavish art books, as quickly as possible.

—Michael Blaine

Where once the city was a battleground for two main militias … now at least five militias claim vaguely defined pockets as their own.

—Jeffrey Bartholet

I've always believed closers are like girlfriends: You remember the great ones, you remember the awful ones and you vaguely remember everyone in between. (You could say the same about hockey goalies and field goal kickers.)

—Bill Simmons

Examples of vaguely in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The show is vaguely interested in why three people disappeared on the same night the town was hosting its annual Samhain festival. —Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 9 May 2024

Mara, who declines to share her surname, vaguely estimates that there are 50 to 100 people involved in this anti-Tesla movement. —Morgan Meaker, WIRED, 7 May 2024

Her portrayal of Jake Perry's down-to-earth, bar-owning mother in Sweet Home Alabama is indicative of the roles she was offered for decades after Designing Women: the warm, reassuring, vaguely southern presence who ultimately isn’t given much to do. —Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 4 May 2024

Ryan Gosling Reveals the Adorable Nickname His Kids Have for Fall Guy Costar Emily Blunt Sexuality is only vaguely alluded to At the center of all its action-hero homages is what drives The Fall Guy forward emotionally: the romance between Colt and Jody. —Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 3 May 2024

The class seems vaguely aware of the missile silos scattered across the county. —Sarah Matusek, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 May 2024

Inside, a low rumble of synthesizer, playing a vaguely liturgical suspended chord, filled the arena. —Charles Homans Robert Petkoff Anna Diamond Ted Blaisdell, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2024

In North America, where Humane is vaguely set, the government has created a voluntary euthanasic program. —Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Apr. 2024

Uncle Vanya is once again wallowing in despair on a Broadway stage, this time at Lincoln Center and led by comedy veteran Steve Carell — an actor uniquely suited to the role of a vaguely likable but mostly pathetic man who just barely fits the bill as our story’s hero. —Shania Russell, EW.com, 25 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1663, in the meaning defined above