What does "vague" mean?

1. (unclear communication) not clear or specific in what is said or written. 2. (indistinct or hazy) not clearly seen, felt, or remembered. 3. (to wander) to travel or move around without a fixed plan.

vague

adj. · v.

US //ˈveɪɡ// UK //vˈeɪɡ// vague

1 unclear communication (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

not clear or specific in what is said or written.

lacking precision or detail in expression; stated in indefinite terms.

Example

The manager gave me some vague instructions, so I wasn't sure how to start the project.

Example

The contract was criticized for its vague language, which left several key clauses open to conflicting interpretations by both parties.
2 indistinct or hazy (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

not clearly seen, felt, or remembered.

lacking sharp outline or definite form; perceived or remembered indistinctly.

Example

I have a vague memory of visiting this park when I was a very small child.

Example

Through the thick morning mist, we could just make out the vague shape of a ship anchored in the bay.

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3 to wander (v.)
C2 Proficiency Archaic Literary

to travel or move around without a fixed plan.

to wander, roam, or stray without a specific destination.

Example

The lonely traveler continued to vague through the ancient forests of the north.

Example

In the epic poem, the hero is destined to vague across the seas for a decade before returning to his ancestral home.

Teacher's tip

This verbal sense is obsolete in modern speech; learners will only encounter it in historical or highly stylized literature.

Origin

From Middle French vague, from Latin vagus (“uncertain, vague”, literally “wandering, rambling, strolling”).