vague
/veɪɡ/adjective, noun, verb
vague is spelled V-A-G-U-E: 5 letters and one syllable. It appears 7.4 times per million words in written English, the 8,669th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, vague means “Not clearly expressed; stated in indefinite terms” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in vague?
| Letters | 5: V-A-G-U-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 7.4 times per million words; the 8,669th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is vague?
Vague appears 7.4 times per million words in written English, the 8,669th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce vague?
- /veɪɡ/
- /væɡ/
Vague has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-uk-vague.ogg, En-us-vague.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of vague
- vaguer comparative
- vaguest superlative
- vagues plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- vaguing participle, present
- vagued participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does vague mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Not clearly expressed; stated in indefinite terms.
- 2
Not having a precise meaning.
a vague term of abuse
- 3
Not clearly defined, grasped, or understood; indistinct; slight.
only a vague notion of what’s needed
- 4
Not clearly felt or sensed; somewhat subconscious.
a vague longing
- 5
Not thinking or expressing one’s thoughts clearly or precisely.
- 6
Lacking expression; vacant.
- 7
Not sharply outlined; hazy.
- 8
Wandering; vagrant; vagabond.
noun
- 1
An indefinite expanse.
- 2
obsoleteA wandering; a vagary.
verb
- 1
archaicto wander; to roam; to stray.
- 2
To become vague or act in a vague manner.
- 3
To make vague negative comments publicly; to make highly veiled complaints or insults.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Vague in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense not clearly expressed:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | vague |
| German | nebelhaft, schwach, unklar, undeutlich, ungenau, ungewiss |
| Portuguese | vago |
| Spanish | vago, desvaído |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does vague come from?
From Middle French vague, from Latin vagus (“uncertain, vague”, literally “wandering, rambling, strolling”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).