Is nebulous formal or informal?

It is more formal than vague or fuzzy. You will often see it in writing, reports, and academic English.

What is the difference between nebulous and vague?

Vague is more common and general. Nebulous sounds more formal and suggests a shape or idea that is hard to pin down.

Can I use nebulous for a person?

Usually, it describes ideas, plans, answers, or situations. For a person, it can sound unusual unless you mean their views are unclear.

← Dictionary

nebulous

/ˈnɛb.jə.ləs/

IELTSAcademic

adjective

Something that is nebulous is not clear or well defined. It is vague, hard to understand, or hard to describe.

Her plans for the future were still nebulous.
The rules were vague and nebulous.
He gave a nebulous answer to the question.

Adinary Nuance

Nebulous is close to vague, unclear, and fuzzy, but it sounds a little more formal and written. Use nebulous when an idea, plan, or statement is hard to define, not just slightly unclear. It often suggests something is vague in a serious or abstract way.

In other languages

Vietnamese: mơ hồ
Spanish: vago
Chinese: 模糊的
Japanese: 曖昧な
Korean: 모호한

Etymology

From Latin nebulosus, meaning "cloudy" or "misty," from nebula, "cloud". The English word has been used since the 1600s.

Common phrases

nebulous ideanebulous plannebulous conceptnebulous response

Synonyms

vague unclear indistinct fuzzy

Related words

cloudy blurred ambiguous uncertain

Frequently asked questions

Is nebulous formal or informal?: It is more formal than vague or fuzzy. You will often see it in writing, reports, and academic English.
What is the difference between nebulous and vague?: Vague is more common and general. Nebulous sounds more formal and suggests a shape or idea that is hard to pin down.
Can I use nebulous for a person?: Usually, it describes ideas, plans, answers, or situations. For a person, it can sound unusual unless you mean their views are unclear.