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

Her corner storefront, lit like the interior of an E-class Mercedes, intrigues with its vaguely futuristic display cases and its tight cluster of Stockmans displaying her hero product: Janker jackets fronted with those conversation-starting fasteners. —Miles Socha, Footwear News, 28 June 2025

This technique imparts a subtle smokey profile, vaguely reminiscent of mezcal, all while preserving the undeniable green and herbal character of blue agave. —Jillian Dara, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025

The water was vaguely green, the sand nothing but sand, the roads indistinguishable from any other road. —Leila Mottley june 27, Literary Hub, 27 June 2025

Great for zoning out on the train, focus mode at work, or doing anything that vaguely resembles exercise. —Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 25 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1663, in the meaning defined above