Make Your Point > Archived Issues > NEBULOUS

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pronounce NEBULOUS: Say it "NEB yuh luss." To hear it, click here. connect this word to others: If you trace the word nebulous back to its Latin origin, and then even further back to its hypothesized Proto-Indo-European root, nebh-, meaning "cloud," then you can reason that it's a distant cousin of the word n__bu_, meaning "a halo or a bright cloud surrounding something, or, a lovely feeling or image surrounding something." As in, "Harry sped across the Quidditch field in a n__bu_ of glory, closing in on the Golden Snitch." But that relationship isn't too clear or well-defined. It's nebulous. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)  definition: In Latin, nebula means "fog, mist, or cloud." And in English, a nebula is something cloudy and unclear, especially a cloudy mass of gas and dust in space: (Thanks for the image, Wikipedia!) As beautiful as that nebula is, the word "nebulous" has a negative tone. Something nebulous is hazy, cloudy, or unclear, usually in a way that confuses or frustrates people. grammatical bits: Part of speech: Adjective: "a nebulous hope;" "Their vision of the future is nebulous." Other forms:  Nebula, nebulously. For a noun, you can pick between "nebulousness" and my preference, "nebulosity." how to use it: "Nebulous" most often has a negative tone. It expresses our frustration with things we find hazy and poorly defined, especially situations that are new, or still in development.  (If you're try to describe a hazy new or future situation with a positive tone, I suggest "inchoate" or "incipient" instead of "nebulous.") We talk about nebulous rules and standards; nebulous plans, timelines, and processes; nebulous words, phrases, labels, and concepts; nebulous differences and distinctions; nebulous statements, messages, offers, and threats; nebulous goals, hopes, reasons, expectations, anxieties, etc. Because "nebulous" most often applies to those abstract things, you could get a laugh by applying it to concrete things. "My plate was oozing with some nebulous potato dish." examples: "Nancy had written one-third of The Book. It was a great book—a book the world would speak of... She felt genius like an eagle beating great wings against her temples. Inspiration, nebulous and wan, stretched thin arms to her, and young ideas went shouting through her brain."    — Annie Vivanti Chartres, The Devourers, 1910 "Thoughtful consumers often insist that they eat fish certified as sustainably caught. This nebulous term often implies a hope that such fish suffered as little as possible, and that their stocks are somehow being managed to ensure the continuation of an abundant supply."     — Daniel Pauly, Nature, 25 September 2019 has this page helped you understand "nebulous"? Awesome, I'm glad it helped! Thanks for letting me know! If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. study it: Explain the meaning of "nebulous" without saying "fuzzy" or "full of uncertainty." try it out: Talk about a time you felt frustrated because everything seemed so nebulous. What questions did you have that couldn't be answered? Did the nebulosity ever finally resolve? If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.) before you review, play: Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out. Our game this month is Everyday Etymologies! If you're in the habit of looking up the etymologies of everyday words (wait, you aren't?), then you find, occasionally, certain ones that strike you as particularly apt, cute, strange, or poetic. I'd like to share some of those finds with you this month. In each issue, I'll give you the etymology of an everyday word, and you supply the word. We'll start easy and move into some tougher ones as the month goes on, but every answer will be an everyday kind of word, one you've been familiar with since, say, adolescence at least. To see the answer, scroll to the bottom of the issue. Try this one today: This sneaky-sounding four-syllable noun comes from a Latin phrase meaning "to nod to." review this word: 1. The opposite of NEBULOUS is A. DISTINCT. B. DISPLAYED. C. DISTRACTING. 2. In a review of a video game, Zack Hage wrote, "It almost seems like some of the game is _____, as you go from tutorial-like stages to scenarios _____." What's the game called? "Nebulous." How appropriate! A. missing .. a developer of the game might barely figure out B. clickbait .. accessible only after you navigate to certain sites to grab clues C. an inside joke .. involving geese that honk out catchphrases from the 1980s Answers to review questions: 1. A 2. A Answer to the game question: Innuendo. a final word: I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From my blog:    36 ways to study words.    Why we forget words, & how to remember them.    How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.