Synonyms of vaguely
: in a vague way: such as
a
: somewhat or slightly
He's vaguely familiar with the area.
… men on foot, dressed vaguely like janitors …—A. L. Kennedy
b
: not clearly
There were grants, he explained vaguely, that had to be spent before the money went back to the federal government, so my main job was to buy lavish art books, as quickly as possible.—Michael Blaine
Where once the city was a battleground for two main militias … now at least five militias claim vaguely defined pockets as their own.—Jeffrey Bartholet
I've always believed closers are like girlfriends: You remember the great ones, you remember the awful ones and you vaguely remember everyone in between. (You could say the same about hockey goalies and field goal kickers.)—Bill Simmons

Examples of vaguely in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
These are electric cars, which apparently justifies a vaguely techy-sounding alphanumeric assemblage. — Jason Barlow, Robb Report, 11 Oct. 2026 The best way Ray can think of to do so is to tail her shady husband, Dom (Bobby Cannavale) — all the way into a sordid (but still vaguely family-friendly) web of deceit, murder, blackmail and gangland drama. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2026 But there’s something widely appealing about speaking casually, broadly and vaguely in order to reduce friction. — John Hodgman, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2026 Ike Barinholtz, of The Studio, practically brings the house down as a circa-2015 Elon Musk, a guy who seems to shamble through life looking only vaguely, comically zonked, not dangerously so. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for vaguely

Word History

First Known Use

1663, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of vaguely was in 1663

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Cite this Entry

“Vaguely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vaguely. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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