vaguely
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
in a way that is not clear or exact.
in a manner that lacks precision or distinctness.
Simple“I vaguely remember meeting him at a party a few years ago.”
In context“The witness could only vaguely describe the suspect, noting a dark jacket but failing to recall any specific facial features.”
UsageOften used with verbs of cognition like 'remember', 'recall', or 'understand'.
SynonymsunclearlyindistinctlyhazilyAntonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
slightly or in a small way that is hard to describe.
to a slight degree; somewhat or marginally.
Simple“The new manager looks vaguely familiar, but I can't place her.”
In context“The atmosphere in the meeting was vaguely hostile, though no one said anything explicitly aggressive.”
UsageFrequently modifies adjectives to soften a statement or express a gut feeling.
Teacher's tipThis sense is very common in spoken English to express a feeling you can't quite explain.
Antonyms
From vague + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.