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

Richards vaguely remembers seeing messages on social media around 2016 about Black women embracing their natural hair. —Annie Blay-Tettey, Allure, 29 May 2026

Even the subsequent progress beyond Zrinjski and AEK Larnaca in the knockout stages felt vaguely underwhelming, as teams continued to sit deep and clog up the play. —Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 28 May 2026

That fits with the vaguely gladiatorial sensation of singles when two competitors face off across a net, locked in intense battle that becomes as much a test of will as skill. —Matthew Carey, Deadline, 28 May 2026

The labels sound impressive — vaguely scientific, vaguely wellness — but most drinkers couldn’t tell you what any of them actually do. —Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 27 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1663, in the meaning defined above