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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 This film, set in 1956, hops between the Palazzo Korda, its protagonist’s cavernous mansion, and different quarters of Modern Greater Independent Phoenicia, a vague Middle Eastern nation that’s depicted as an array of deserts, warring factions, and colonial outposts. Alison Willmore, Vulture, 18 May 2025 You’d likely be confused — business is so complex that a vague question like that is difficult to answer. Ashton Jackson, CNBC, 17 May 2025 There are enough vague, intractable whispers of diplomacy and further talks about talks, to provide the tantalising promise of a deal, without striking, or even delineating one. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 16 May 2025 The fourth male juror is a 51-year-old scientist with a PhD in molecular biology who also had vague knowledge of the case. Caroline Blair, People.com, 16 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for vague
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vague
Adjective
  • Her reasons for choosing Hagerty were unclear, although the firm had already signed a wildfire recovery contract with L.A. County’s emergency management office and had long worked with the state Office of Emergency Services.
    Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2025
  • In the oftentimes incoherent audio message, the speaker discusses various grievances about his life, but the specific connection to IVF is unclear.
    Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 17 May 2025
Adjective
  • Skyscrapers towered over a hazy, Saharan landscape — a vibrant melting pot of modernist and historical sites and structures, situated on a confluence of the Nile River.
    Emmanuel Akinwotu, NPR, 16 May 2025
  • The image is hazy because the low light and long exposures can add digital noise to Perseverance's images.
    Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 16 May 2025
Adjective
  • While critical thinking is invaluable, the tendency to fixate on ambiguous data points—many of which pertain to uncontrollable external factors—can lead to unnecessary stress.
    Davide Sartini, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
  • The two were previously involved in a morally ambiguous mission gone wrong, which led to Vincent murdering an undercover cop.
    Skyler Trepel, People.com, 26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • This Week: May 19-25, 2025 As the moon continues to wane from being full last week, the night skies darken enough to find faint stars and constellations.
    Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
  • It’s filled with no-nonsense retinol and has a faint medicinal smell.
    Mary Honkus, Glamour, 16 May 2025
Adjective
  • At times, Kennedy seemed fuzzy on the specifics of what actually was cut as lawmakers asked him about details like delays in payments to community groups and problems with clinical trials.
    Selena Simmons-Duffin, NPR, 15 May 2025
  • This portrait of a chef who moved from Japan in the 1970s delivers a generous helping of warm and fuzzy feels, as its subject faces challenges with determination and celebrates the daily joy of creating beautiful bites.
    Leslie Kelly, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
Adjective
  • The blue, silver, and lavender sparkly dress featured a corseted waist and sweetheart neckline—a silhouette and style straight from the Lauren Sánchez school of style—and delicate silver stilettos that flashed her pale pink pedicure.
    Vogue, Vogue, 23 May 2025
  • And then, to drive the dagger into Michaela even more, Simone walks down the stairs in a stunning pale blue dress that Michaela had made for her.
    Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 22 May 2025
Adjective
  • Its origins are as murky as the exact proportions of the recipe.
    Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 14 May 2025
  • Instead, the injury made his situation murky at best.
    Adam Jahns, New York Times, 13 May 2025
Adjective
  • There are some opaque methods for opening car tailgates, but Smart’s must be one of the most obscure.
    James Morris, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
  • That brings us to Biden’s cancer, a diagnosis that surely cast a pall over the various book tours and panel discussions on what the Bidens and their handlers did or did not obscure.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 20 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Vague.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vague. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

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