All words

nebulous

Meaning

Lacking clear form, boundaries, or specific details; indistinct or ill-defined.

Examples by difficulty

Basic: Simple, everyday vocabulary — the easiest to read.

She remembered the promise he made, but the details were nebulous. Was it a week ago? A month? He'd said "soon," but the exact timing felt lost in a fog of unspoken words and fading hope.

The map was useless. Instead of roads, there were just scribbles, a nebulous mess of faded ink. She squinted, trying to make sense of the vague shapes, but the island's edges blurred into the sea, leaving her with no clear path forward.

The plan to escape the cavern was still nebulous. They knew they had to move, but the exact path through the crushing dark, the sound of dripping water echoing in their ears, remained unclear, a fear in their gut that had no solid shape.

My plan for summer vacation was a bit nebulous. I knew I wanted fun, maybe some snacks, and definitely no chores. Beyond that, the details were like trying to catch smoke with a sieve.

My pet polka-dotted dust bunny, Bartholomew, had a truly nebulous shape. Was it a furry amoeba? A fluffy, shy blob? It was hard to say, as he'd wiggle and morph into something even less distinct if you stared too hard. Bartholomew was delightfully, hilariously, and undeniably unclear.

Normal: Standard, everyday language.

He remembered the plan vaguely, a nebulous idea of escaping before anyone noticed. He wasn't sure what time it was or where he was supposed to go. All he felt was a knot of anxiety in his stomach.

The instructions for the alien artifact were so nebulous, nobody knew where to start. Were we supposed to heat it, cool it, or just stare at it? The scientists felt a growing unease; this was unlike any research they'd ever undertaken.

He remembered the initial discussions about the project, but the details were so nebulous. He'd nodded along, agreeing with the broad strokes, yet now faced with the actual implementation, he realized how little concrete information he truly possessed. The vision remained, but the path to get there was frustratingly unclear.

My brilliant plan to conquer the world was still rather nebulous. I envisioned myself a magnificent overlord, but the tiny details, like *how* to actually achieve this, remained indistinct. Maybe I'd start by mastering a really impressive stare. That seemed achievable.

My uncle's plan to achieve enlightenment involved staring at his sock drawer, which he claimed held the universe's secrets. The specifics were, however, rather nebulous, involving a lot of humming and the occasional intense sniff. We still aren't sure if he found enlightenment or just lost a particularly stubborn dust bunny.

Advanced: Richer vocabulary that stretches an upper-level reader.

The plan for the weekend was so nebulous; we knew we wanted to get away, but had no concrete destination or activities. A vague sense of unease settled in as the days approached, the lack of specifics making it hard to feel prepared or excited.

He stared at the flickering projection, a nebulous swarm of iridescent motes that was supposed to represent the swarm's current territorial claims. But the data was corrupted, leaving only a hazy, indistinct blur where sharp boundaries should have been, fueling his growing unease.

The investor's promise of a substantial return felt nebulous. She grasped at the vague projections, the lack of concrete data leaving her with an uneasy feeling. Was this a genuine opportunity or a poorly conceived scheme?

My granduncle's "get rich quick" scheme was rather nebulous. He claimed it involved "synergistic leverage" and "disruptive innovation," but when pressed for particulars, his explanations dissolved into a frankly bewildering haze. Apparently, it was a revolutionary concept, just… blurry.

The aspiring astronaut's plan to colonize the moon was, at best, a nebulous concept. He envisioned "moon-cheese farms" and "gravity-defying poodle races," but the actual logistics and scientific feasibility remained frustratingly indistinct, like a blurry photograph of a particularly wobbly Jell-O mold.

Challenging: Rare, high-register vocabulary for serious word lovers.

His recollection of the incident was rather nebulous, a jumble of fleeting impressions and hazy anxieties. He could recall the gnawing dread, the overwhelming sense of impending doom, but the precise sequence of events or any tangible perpetrators remained frustratingly indistinct, like a half-forgotten nightmare.

The scout's report was frustratingly nebulous, filled with vague pronouncements about atmospheric anomalies and unidentifiable energy signatures near the cryo-shards of Kepler-186f. Commander Valerius needed concrete intelligence, not this frustratingly indistinct apprehension of a potential threat that lacked any discernible shape.

The architect's vision for the orbital habitat remained frustratingly nebulous, a jumble of disconnected schematics for bio-domes and propulsion systems, making definitive progress on the lunar refinery impossible.

The politician's promise of economic prosperity was so nebulous, it resembled a phantom soufflé attempting to manifest. Voters craned their necks, hoping for a tangible substance, but found only an amorphous, ill-defined waft of hot air that dissipated faster than a celebrity scandal.

The alchemist's ambition, a nebulous concoction of philosophical inquiry and a desperate desire for gold, remained frustratingly ill-defined. He'd spent months meticulously cataloging the chromatic effervescence of his most precarious elixirs, yet the ultimate goal was as indistinct as a specter in a mist.

Difficulty

Normal — Everyday words worth reinforcing.

Appears in

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