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

I think the political parties here don’t know how to treat Puerto Ricans because of the nebulous ways in which the country exists.

From Slate

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

As you ascended the labyrinthine stairs of scaffolding, you’d eventually arrive at the open top level where you’d take in a 360-degree view of Burning Man, which, especially at nighttime, was a visual smorgasbord of swirling lights and nebulous fire.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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