nebulous

adjective

ˈne-byə-ləs How to pronounce nebulous (audio)
Definition of nebulousnext
1
as in ambiguous
having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning made nebulous references to some major changes the future may hold

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in vague
not seen or understood clearly could just make out the nebulous outline of a fishing shack in the dense fog

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of nebulous Ohtani’s timeline back to the mound is nebulous at this point. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026 It can’t be stopped, only passed along to someone else, like a nebulous disease metaphor in an edgy horror movie. — Chris Kelly, New Yorker, 28 July 2026 For reasons that are, at best, hazy, Lonnie had a meltdown of some amorphous type that had some sort of non-specific impact on his overall psyche, leaving him stuck in a nebulous rut. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 2026 The theatrical angle is a bit more nebulous and weaker, Seilie argues. — Brian Welk, IndieWire, 14 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for nebulous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nebulous
  1. ambiguous
  2. vague
  3. cryptic
  4. faint
  5. obscure
  6. hazy
  7. dark
Adjective
  • Bergman’s scenario famously reaches the deeply ambiguous point at which the personalities of the actress Elisabet Vogler and her nurse, Alma, seem to merge.
    — Demetrios Matheou, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
  • What remains are angry customers, ambiguous situations, exceptions, judgment calls and problems that have already failed one resolution attempt.
    — Antony P Gregory, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of ambiguous
Adjective
  • Maybe you’re tempted to overanalyze someone’s tone or a friend’s vague promise.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Aquarius January 20 – February 18 A vague request could create an impressive amount of unnecessary work today.
    — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of vague
Adjective
  • McEwen offered a cryptic tease about what audiences can expect.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026
  • But the ambassador retorts with evasion, keeping the language cryptic.
    — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of cryptic
Adjective
  • This stage begins when the moon enters the faint edges of Earth's shadow, called the penumbra.
    — Julia Gomez, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
  • That year, the Perseids will peak in the glare of a waxing moon just four days from turning full, and the moonlight will hide many of the shower's fainter shooting stars.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of faint
Adjective
  • Given most late-summer midterm-election-year weakness has been more than recovered right afterward, the proper course of action now becomes even more obscure.
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026
  • In many cases, the robot tail wags the living dog by tricking it—tricking us—into caring about obscure metrics, then gamifying the process of improving them.
    — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of obscure
Adjective
  • Its beers such as Easy Eddy, a hazy India pale ale, have won awards.
    — Steve Zalusky, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Some cleaners can also dull floors or leave a hazy residue on the surface.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of hazy
Adjective
  • On top of the moving-camera-foamy-dark-mouth challenge, there was the plaque challenge.
    — Jenny Bailly, Allure, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Finley’s breakout was the 2017 dark comedy Thoroughbreds, in which Olivia Cooke and Anya Taylor-Joy play high-schoolers conspiring to kill an abusive stepfather.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of dark

Browse Nearby Words

nebulosity
nebulous
nebulously
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Cite this Entry

“Nebulous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nebulous. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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