Standard Lemma guide

vaguely

adv · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /ˈveɪɡli/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: V EY1 G L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

In a vague manner.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He looked vaguely around the room, as if lost.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adv

Meaning 2

Loosely; more or less; somewhat.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • 12 July 2012, Sam Adams, AV Club Ice Age: Continental Drift Preceded by a Simpsons short shot in 3-D—perhaps the only thing more superfluous than a fourth Ice Age movie—Ice Age: Continental Drift finds a retinue of vaguely contemporaneous animals coping with life in the post-Pangaea age.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adverb

Meaning 3

in a vague way

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he looked vaguely familiar
  • he explained it somewhat mistily

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: mistily

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English vague Middle English -ly English -ly English vaguely From vague + -ly.

Across languages

Translations

13 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: vagament — in a vague manner
  • Dutch: vaag — in a vague manner
  • Esperanto: svage — in a vague manner
  • French: vaguement — in a vague manner
  • German: vage — in a vague manner
  • Italian: vagamente — in a vague manner
  • Portuguese: vagamente — in a vague manner
  • Slovak: matne — in a vague manner
  • Spanish: vagamente — in a vague manner
  • Spanish: desvaídamente — in a vague manner
  • Spanish: difuminadamente — in a vague manner
  • Turkish: belli belirsiz — in a vague manner
  • Turkish: belirsiz bir şekilde — in a vague manner