nebulous

adjective

ˈne-byə-ləs How to pronounce nebulous (audio)
Definition of nebulousnext
1
as in ambiguous
having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning made nebulous references to some major changes the future may hold

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in vague
not seen or understood clearly could just make out the nebulous outline of a fishing shack in the dense fog

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of nebulous The barn jacket sits in a wonderful nebulous space between the chore jacket and army jacket. — Irene Richardson, InStyle, 24 Sep. 2026 The young sisters’ upbringing, by a troubled mother, mirrors Darya’s own struggles as a parent on some nebulous medication. — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 19 Sep. 2026 Now, to be clear, nightclubs like Basement have a longstanding subjective — and often nebulous — criteria for who gets in, and anyone dorky enough to show up to one wearing Meta glasses almost certainly wouldn’t make the cut anyway. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 27 Aug. 2026 The culture fit piece is perhaps more nebulous but equally important, and while Orgeron fit LSU like a glove, Kelly stuck out like a sore thumb. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for nebulous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nebulous
  1. ambiguous
  2. vague
  3. cryptic
  4. faint
  5. obscure
  6. hazy
  7. dark
Adjective
  • In fact, mathematicians already know that knots of two or more links have ambiguous polynomials.
    — Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Because a decision appears to have been made in the Salvadoran case, then paused, without any public clarification, the situation is more ambiguous.
    — Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of ambiguous
Adjective
  • Even as strong as the UNEP report is, the language of who does mitigation is so vague as to almost verge on the passive voice.
    — Stephanie Walton, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2026
  • North Korea issued a vague expression of regret over the soldiers’ injuries without clearly accepting responsibility.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of vague
Adjective
  • Olivia Benson dropped a cryptic string of clues that sent Swifties into Easter egg hunt overdrive.
    — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Though Room 71 sounds like something out of a sci-fi story, the cryptic name is simply a reference to the fact that 71% of the planet is covered by oceans.
    — Pier Nirandara, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of cryptic
Adjective
  • The concept uses single-photon lidar to detect faint laser reflections from an aircraft.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2026
  • This places the light on a more sensitive part of your retina and can make faint objects easier to see.
    — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of faint
Adjective
  • Other researchers were hunting the agents online and finding traces of them on obscure message boards.
    — Gerrit De Vynck, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Akhtar is at his best here because the sensations remain vivid even when their significance is obscure.
    — Zain Khalid, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of obscure
Adjective
  • As the show became a cultural juggernaut, some criticized its vigilante justice and the hazy line between law enforcement and journalism.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The Libra Sun opposes Neptune across your career and home zones, making ambition look especially attractive while the personal cost remains hazy.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of hazy
Adjective
  • For serious gear collectors tired of pocket clutter and dark backpack voids, this clever mobile workstation is a genuinely smart, highly functional evolution.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Nothing hits quite like a pair of $39 Levi’s jeans, and this perfectly stretchy, dark-wash option is just what the doctor ordered.
    — Annie Blackman, InStyle, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of dark

Browse Nearby Words

nebulosity
nebulous
nebulously
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Nebulous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nebulous. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All