Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

1 ADJ If something written or spoken is vague , it does not explain or express things clearly. □  The description was pretty vague. □  …vague information. ●  vague|ly ADV □  'I'm not sure,' Liz said vaguely. □  They issued a vaguely worded statement. ●  vague|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …the vagueness of the language in the text.

2 ADJ If you have a vague memory or idea of something, the memory or idea is not clear. □  They have only a vague idea of the amount of water available. □  Waite's memory of that first meeting was vague. ●  vague|ly ADV [ADV with v] □  Judith could vaguely remember her mother lying on the sofa.

3 ADJ If you are vague about something, you deliberately do not tell people much about it. □ [+ about ] He was vague, however, about just what U.S. forces might actually do. □  Democratic leaders under election pressure tend to respond with vague promises of action.

4 ADJ If you describe someone as vague , you mean that they do not seem to be thinking clearly. □  She had married a charming but rather vague Englishman. □  His eyes were always so vague when he looked at her.

5 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If something such as a feeling is vague , you experience it only slightly. □  He was conscious of that vague feeling of irritation again.

6 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A vague shape or outline is not clear and is therefore not easy to see. □  The bus was a vague shape in the distance. PRAGMATICS vagueness

In this dictionary, the label VAGUENESS indicates that you use the word or expression to show lack of certainty. People often use vague language to make statements 'softer', so that what they say does not appear too direct or too strongly stated. Examples of vague language are presumably…, Do you know what I mean?, kind of…, and sort of… .

vague|ly /ve I gli/

1 ADV [ADV adj] Vaguely means to some degree but not to a very large degree. □  The voice on the line was vaguely familiar, but Crook couldn't place it at first.

2 → see also vague

vain /ve I n/ (vainer , vainest )

1 ADJ [ADJ n] A vain attempt or action is one that fails to achieve what was intended. □  The drafting committee worked through the night in a vain attempt to finish on schedule. ●  vain|ly ADV [ADV with v] □  He hunted vainly through his pockets for a piece of paper.

2 ADJ [ADJ n] If you describe a hope that something will happen as a vain hope, you mean that there is no chance of it happening. □  He glanced around in the vain hope that there were no witnesses. ●  vain|ly ADV [ADV with v] □  He then set out for Virginia for what he vainly hoped would be a peaceful retirement.

3 ADJ If you describe someone as vain , you are critical of their extreme pride in their own beauty, intelligence, or other good qualities. [DISAPPROVAL ] □  I think he is shallow, vain and untrustworthy.

4 PHRASE If you do something in vain , you do not succeed in achieving what you intend. □  He stopped at the door, waiting in vain for her to acknowledge his presence.

5 PHRASE If you say that something such as someone's death, suffering, or effort was in vain , you mean that it was useless because it did not achieve anything. □  He wants the world to know his son did not die in vain.

vain|glo|ri|ous /ve I nglɔː riəs/ ADJ [ADJ n] If you describe someone as vainglorious , you are critical of them because they are very proud of what they have done and boast a lot about it. [LITERARY , DISAPPROVAL ]

val|ance /væ ləns/ (valances )

1 N‑COUNT A valance is a piece of cloth that hangs down over the sides of a bed in order to make it look nice.