nebulous

[ neb-yuh-luhs ]

adjective

1. hazy, vague, indistinct, or confused:

   a nebulous recollection of the meeting; a nebulous distinction between pride and conceit.

2. cloudy or cloudlike.
3. of or resembling a nebula or nebulae in deep space; nebular.

nebulous

/ ˈnɛbjʊləs /

adjective

1. lacking definite form, shape, or content; vague or amorphous

   nebulous reasons

2. of, characteristic of, or resembling a nebula
3. rare.
   misty or hazy

Derived Forms

• ˈnebulously, adverb
• ˈnebulousness, noun

Other Words From

• nebu·lous·ly adverb
• nebu·lous·ness noun
• non·nebu·lous adjective
• non·nebu·lous·ly adverb
• non·nebu·lous·ness noun
• quasi-nebu·lous adjective
• quasi-nebu·lous·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of nebulous¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin nebulōsus “full of mist, foggy, cloudy,” from nebul(a) “cloud, mist, vapor” ( nebula ) + -ōsus -ous

Example Sentences

Unlike private developers, who make binding commitments through the environmental review process, Caltrans made nebulous promises that can’t be easily enforced, he said.

From Los Angeles Times

Class issues that reached beyond this nebulous framework began to seep into political discourse.

From Salon

But the sort of memeification of tragedy, in which it's haphazardly cast into a nebulous scion of the “dark humor” genre, feels an altogether ethical sticky terrain.

From Salon

Such ideology fit well with Trump's style of campaigning, featuring rallies where he rails against shadowy, deep state, elite and liberal enemies — whom he often refers to as a nebulous "they" — to raucous applause.

From Salon

A few of the neon-bright packages boldly proclaim they contain psilocybin, though many offer more nebulous descriptions such as “mushroom blend” and “magic mushrooms.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• ambiguous
• amorphous
• hazy
• imprecise
• murky
• shadowy
• vague