nebulous

adjective

neb·u·lous ˈne-byə-ləs

Synonyms of nebulous next

: of, relating to, or resembling a nebula : nebular

: indistinct, vague

… this nebulous thing called jazz.—

Josef Woodard

… the nebulous region between mere suspicion and probable cause—

W. R. LaFave & J. H. Israel

The plan is too nebulous.

nebulously adverb

nebulousness noun

Did you know?

Nebulous may sound other-worldly—after all, it’s related to nebula, which refers to a distant galaxy or an interstellar cloud of gas or dust—but its mysteriousness is rooted in more earthly unknowns. Both words ultimately come from Latin nebula, meaning “mist, cloud,” and as far back as the 14th century nebulous could mean simply “cloudy” or “foggy.” Nebulous has since the late 17th century been the adjective correlating to nebula (as in “nebulous gas”), but the word is more familiar in its figurative use, where it describes things that are indistinct or vague, as when Jack London wrote of “ideas that were nebulous at best and that in reality were remembered sensations.”

Examples of nebulous in a Sentence

These philosophical concepts can be nebulous. made nebulous references to some major changes the future may hold

Recent Examples on the Web

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The team realized that a nebulous definition left employees unsure of what was expected of them. —

Stephen Wunker, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024 The ceaseless movement of staff around the world compounds this nebulous sensation of perpetual indigence. —

Nick Foulkes, theweek, 7 Nov. 2024 Since then, the potential of generative AI has felt clear, although its practical applications in everyday life have remained somewhat nebulous. —

Stephen Marche, The Atlantic, 27 Sep. 2024 Aquarius January 20 – February 18 Your financial state may seem a bit too nebulous at the moment. —

Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for nebulous