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Synonym Chooser

How is the word vague different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of vague are ambiguous, cryptic, dark, enigmatic, equivocal, and obscure. While all these words mean "not clearly understandable," vague implies a lack of clear formulation due to inadequate conception or consideration.

a vague sense of obligation

When could ambiguous be used to replace vague?

Although the words ambiguous and vague have much in common, ambiguous applies to language capable of more than one interpretation.

an ambiguous directive

When would cryptic be a good substitute for vague?

While in some cases nearly identical to vague, cryptic implies a purposely concealed meaning.

cryptic hints of hidden treasure

Where would dark be a reasonable alternative to vague?

The synonyms dark and vague are sometimes interchangeable, but dark implies an imperfect or clouded revelation often with ominous or sinister suggestion.

muttered dark hints of revenge

In what contexts can enigmatic take the place of vague?

The words enigmatic and vague are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, enigmatic stresses a puzzling, mystifying quality.

enigmatic occult writings

When might equivocal be a better fit than vague?

While the synonyms equivocal and vague are close in meaning, equivocal applies to language left open to differing interpretations with the intention of deceiving or evading.

moral precepts with equivocal phrasing

When can obscure be used instead of vague?

The words obscure and vague can be used in similar contexts, but obscure implies a hiding or veiling of meaning through some inadequacy of expression or withholding of full knowledge.

obscure poems

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 vague Plot details are vague at this time, but Gilroy has said in interviews that the film revolves around a cellist. Justin Kroll, Deadline, 1 Oct. 2025 Ten months in the role and not the vaguest hint of consistency from week to week. Phil Hay, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025 Applying a decency standard in awarding support is vague. Helen Molesworth, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025 Once that happened, Israel would release 250 prisoners serving life sentences as well as 1,700 Palestinians who have been detained without charge, though the timing here is vague. Niall Stanage, The Hill, 29 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for vague
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vague
Adjective
  • Key details of the plan are still unclear.
    Yamiche Alcindor, NBC news, 10 Oct. 2025
  • The connection between the shooting incidents remains unclear.
    Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The Mifsuds have invited the community to become a part of the menu curation process, by welcoming name suggestions for Six Spoke’s latest brews, like the Vernor Hazeway, a hazy IPA.
    Lyndsay C. Green, Freep.com, 9 Oct. 2025
  • The series has a hazy, dreamlike quality in which narrative logic bends but emotional coherence holds.
    Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Maybe the purposefully ambiguous coda was concocted to prove some sort of Rashomon-style truth-is-subjective point.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2025
  • While the unfinished project remains ambiguous, the viewer catches glimpses of what the plot might have been about, where Jiang's character has grown from a wandering youth to a wealthy entrepreneur.
    Yangyang Cheng, NPR, 4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • His nephew said that, for decades, his grandparents had kept alive a faint hope that maybe their hero son had just been captured and would one day come gamboling through the front door to the family’s Brookside home.
    Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 10 Oct. 2025
  • From this distance, Swift detected the faint ultraviolet glow of hydroxyl (OH), the product of water molecules broken apart by sunlight, the study reports.
    Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The heartwarming clip shared in September by @evietheintern, shows the dog lying flat on the couch, getting comfortable under a warm fuzzy blanket as One Tree Hill plays in the background.
    Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
  • As of now, Zaslav is moving ahead with a somewhat-still-fuzzy plan unveiled this past summer to split WBD in half by next spring to free the studio and streaming of several billion in debt and freefalling cable assets.
    Dominic Patten, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The shoes featured a scalloped toe box in a pale pink hue, offset by gold slingback straps and slender matching heels.
    Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Her pale yellow dress was the epitome of effortless elegance thanks to the whimsical puff sleeves.
    Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • But legal experts say the wording was murky, making judicial interpretation a moving target.
    Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2025
  • The announcement was greeted with jubilation and some caution, with many of the fine-print details still murky.
    MSNBC Newsweek, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The obscure defensive lineman spent the first month of the season on the shelf, but after returning for the 27-24 comeback win over the Miami Dolphins, the former Alabama standout is expected to be a healthy presence in the trenches for the Carolina Panthers.
    Mike Kaye October 9, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2025
  • Instead of invoking the Act, the White House is using Section 12-406 of Title 10, an obscure provision of federal law, to claim authority to bring in National Guard troops, NPR's Jaclyn Diaz tells Up First.
    Brittney Melton, NPR, 7 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Vague.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vague. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.

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