Words That Mean Unclear and Vague
Difficulty of understanding, located differently each time: in the subject, in the writing, or in the deliberate choice not to be plain.
13 words
- Abstruseadjective
difficult to penetrate; incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge
- Ambiguousadjective
open to two or more interpretations; or of uncertain nature or significance; or (often) intended to mislead
- Arcaneadjective
requiring secret or mysterious knowledge
- Convolutedverb
practice sophistry; change the meaning of or be vague about in order to mislead or deceive
- Crypticadjective
having a secret or hidden meaning; ; ; - John Gunther
- Enigmaticadjective
not clear to the understanding
- Equivocaladjective
open to two or more interpretations; or of uncertain nature or significance; or (often) intended to mislead
- Inscrutableadjective
of an obscure nature; ; ; ; - Rachel Carson
- Nebulousadjective
lacking definition or definite content; ; - Jane Austen
- Obscureadjective
not clearly understood or expressed; ; -Anatole Broyard; - P.A.Sorokin; - John Locke
- Opaqueadjective
not transmitting or reflecting light or radiant energy; impenetrable to sight
- Reconditeadjective
difficult to penetrate; incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge
- Tortuousadjective
highly complex or intricate and occasionally devious; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; - Sir Walter Scott
Study these against
A word’s meaning sharpens against its opposite. These sets are the ones worth holding beside unclear and vague.