nebulous

adjective

neb·u·lous ˈne-byə-ləs How to pronounce nebulous (audio)

: 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.”

Example Sentences

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

Recent Examples on the Web Leaving the consequences nebulous and undefined is a recipe for horror.

WSJ, 15 Sep. 2022 Riot grrrl was always a nebulous concept, a label intended to be adopted and personalized by young feminist punks globally.

Annie Fell, SPIN, 1 Sep. 2022 But simple bungling of data can end up looking quite a bit like fabrication; indeed, the demarcation line is rather nebulous.

David Robert Grimes, The Atlantic, 29 July 2022 But in comparison with other positions in the theater industry, the pathways to becoming a producer vary wildly and tend to be notably nebulous.

Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2022 Corporates, countries and bankers are continuing to announce nebulous 2050 goals, with little detail.

Felicia Jackson, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2021 More broadly, however, the real impetus for Salesforce peeling back the curtain on its accessibility efforts is simply that, despite the industry’s ever-burgeoning embrace, accessibility remains very much a nebulous idea to the majority.

Steven Aquino, Forbes, 3 June 2022 Zuckerberg has pitched the still-nebulous metaverse as the next iteration of our digital experience, one that will eventually replace the smartphone and personal computer.

Jacob Carpenter, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2022 One qualm is that the existing laws governing the dignity realm are said to be somewhat nebulous and overly malleable, thus not well-tuned to the specific legal construct of a right of exception.

Lance Eliot, Forbes, 3 Aug. 2022 See More

nebulous

adjective

as in ambiguous

having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning made nebulous references to some major changes the future may hold

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

ambiguous
cryptic
obscure
vague
dark
mysterious
murky
enigmatic
mystic
esoteric
unclear
questionable
opaque
inscrutable
enigmatical
uncertain
occult
arcane
equivocal
deep
confusing
fuliginous
elliptical
obscurant
hazy
fuzzy
complicated
indistinct
shadowy
weird
undefined
recondite
abstruse
elliptic
eerie
Delphic
intangible
uncanny
indefinite
double-edged
shrouded
cloaked
foggy
difficult
indirect
misty
clouded
disguised
incomprehensible
undetermined
inexplicable
unknowable
faint
complex
inexact
muddy
invisible
dim
noncommittal
obfuscatory
indecipherable
cloudy
puzzling
indistinguishable
beclouded
perplexing
concealed
inexplicit
masked
baffling
shaded
impalpable
bewildering
impenetrable
unanswerable
mystifying
confounding
eery
obtuse
befogged
unfathomable
sphinxlike
inappreciable
shadowlike
circuitous
obscurantic
bedimmed
roundabout
obnubilated

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

obvious
clear
unambiguous
distinct
certain
plain
unequivocal
understandable
knowable
comprehensible
intelligible
accessible
bright
evident
strong
defined
legible
definite
fathomable
tangible
nonambiguous
explicit
sure
pellucid
firm
direct
straightforward
exact
visible
determined
self-evident
self-explanatory
palpable
appreciable
unmistakable
blatant
patent

as in vague

not seen or understood clearly could just make out the nebulous outline of a fishing shack in the dense fog

Synonyms & Similar Words

vague
hazy
faint
undefined
indistinct
unclear
murky
fuzzy
shadowy
obscure
pale
indefinite
blurry
foggy
undetermined
misty
opaque
dark
dim
gauzy
indistinguishable
bleary
intangible
blear
invisible
dusky
mysterious
gloomy
impalpable
incomprehensible
inexplicable
puzzling
indecipherable
indiscernible
inappreciable
obfuscatory
hieroglyphic
hieroglyphical

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

clear
definite
distinct
obvious
certain
bright
plain
pellucid
evident
strong
sure
firm

单词	nebulous
释义	nebulous adjective neb·u·lous ˈne-byə-ləs 1 : of, relating to, or resembling a nebula : nebular 2 : 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.” Synonyms ambiguous arcane cryptic dark deep Delphic double-edged elliptical elliptic enigmatic enigmatical equivocal fuliginous inscrutable murky mysterious mystic obscure occult opaque See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences These philosophical concepts can be nebulous. made nebulous references to some major changes the future may hold Recent Examples on the Web Leaving the consequences nebulous and undefined is a recipe for horror. WSJ, 15 Sep. 2022 Riot grrrl was always a nebulous concept, a label intended to be adopted and personalized by young feminist punks globally. Annie Fell, SPIN, 1 Sep. 2022 But simple bungling of data can end up looking quite a bit like fabrication; indeed, the demarcation line is rather nebulous. David Robert Grimes, The Atlantic, 29 July 2022 But in comparison with other positions in the theater industry, the pathways to becoming a producer vary wildly and tend to be notably nebulous. Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2022 Corporates, countries and bankers are continuing to announce nebulous 2050 goals, with little detail. Felicia Jackson, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2021 More broadly, however, the real impetus for Salesforce peeling back the curtain on its accessibility efforts is simply that, despite the industry’s ever-burgeoning embrace, accessibility remains very much a nebulous idea to the majority. Steven Aquino, Forbes, 3 June 2022 Zuckerberg has pitched the still-nebulous metaverse as the next iteration of our digital experience, one that will eventually replace the smartphone and personal computer. Jacob Carpenter, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2022 One qualm is that the existing laws governing the dignity realm are said to be somewhat nebulous and overly malleable, thus not well-tuned to the specific legal construct of a right of exception. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 3 Aug. 2022 See More Word History Etymology Latin nebulosus misty, from nebula First Known Use 1674, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Kids Definition nebulous adjective neb·u·lous ˈne-byə-ləs : not clear : vague nebulous adjective 1 as in ambiguous having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning made nebulous references to some major changes the future may hold Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance ambiguous cryptic obscure vague dark mysterious murky enigmatic mystic esoteric unclear questionable opaque inscrutable enigmatical uncertain occult arcane equivocal deep confusing fuliginous elliptical obscurant hazy fuzzy complicated indistinct shadowy weird undefined recondite abstruse elliptic eerie Delphic intangible uncanny indefinite double-edged shrouded cloaked foggy difficult indirect misty clouded disguised incomprehensible undetermined inexplicable unknowable faint complex inexact muddy invisible dim noncommittal obfuscatory indecipherable cloudy puzzling indistinguishable beclouded perplexing concealed inexplicit masked baffling shaded impalpable bewildering impenetrable unanswerable mystifying confounding eery obtuse befogged unfathomable sphinxlike inappreciable shadowlike circuitous obscurantic bedimmed roundabout obnubilated Antonyms & Near Antonyms obvious clear unambiguous distinct certain plain unequivocal understandable knowable comprehensible intelligible accessible bright evident strong defined legible definite fathomable tangible nonambiguous explicit sure pellucid firm direct straightforward exact visible determined self-evident self-explanatory palpable appreciable unmistakable blatant patent See More 2 as in vague not seen or understood clearly could just make out the nebulous outline of a fishing shack in the dense fog Synonyms & Similar Words vague hazy faint undefined indistinct unclear murky fuzzy shadowy obscure pale indefinite blurry foggy undetermined misty opaque dark dim gauzy indistinguishable bleary intangible blear invisible dusky mysterious gloomy impalpable incomprehensible inexplicable puzzling indecipherable indiscernible inappreciable obfuscatory hieroglyphic hieroglyphical Antonyms & Near Antonyms clear definite distinct obvious certain bright plain pellucid evident strong sure firm See More
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nebulous

adjective

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Kids Definition

adjective

adjective