vaguelyvague‧ly /ˈveɪɡli/ ●○○ adverb 
I vaguely remember a woman in a red dress standing outside the door. There was something vaguely familiar about him. I was vaguely aware of another figure by the door.2not clearly or exactly: His statement was very vaguely worded.3in a way that shows you are not thinking about what you are doing: He smiled vaguely at the ceiling.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Audrey smiled vaguely at the ceiling.
- Her face is vaguely familiar.
- I found the whole situation vaguely upsetting.
- A dazed Fourth Aunt lay in bed, vaguely aware that some one was tugging on her arm.
- He remained too personally committed to the values of the Council and to a certain vaguely liberal spirit.
- I vaguely recall something from long, long ago that involves cuddling by the fire.
- Sheldukher angled the disrupter vaguely in the direction of the huddled mass of Chelonians and fired indiscriminately.
- Well, I didn't want to take it, because I was vaguely thinking of my amateur status.
Longman Language Activatorto remember something with difficulty
if you vaguely remember something, you can remember it slightly but not all the details are clear: · She still vaguely remembered her father, a distant figure who was barely ever there.vaguely remember that: · I do vaguely remember, now that Kerry mentions it, that Pete was at the party.vaguely remember what/how/who etc: · Bob, who'd been a vet in the army, vaguely remembered how to use a tourniquet.vaguely remember doing something: · He vaguely remembered meeting her in a club the night of the concert.
to be able to remember that something happened but not be able to remember the details clearly, especially because you did not notice the details at the time: · I do sort of remember meeting him, but I have only a hazy recollection.have a hazy/vague recollection of: · Davis claims he has only a vague recollection of the rape.have a hazy/vague recollection of doing something: · The next day she had a hazy recollection of getting drunk and dancing in a fountain.
if a name or word is on the tip of your tongue , you usually know it but have difficulty remembering it at the present moment: · His name's on the tip of my tongue. I'll think of it in a minute.· What was that place where they'd had dinner? It was on the tip of her tongue.
if something, especially a name, rings a bell , you remember that you have seen or heard it before but you are now not sure of the details: · The name rings a bell, but I can't place it at the moment.ring a bell with: · "Gentle Ben's Brewing Company" will ring a bell with anyone who has lived in Arizona.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES Her face seems vaguely familiar, but I can’t quite place her.
1slightly OPP clearly: (=a little amusing, but not very) a mildly amusing spectacle
a mildly amusing spectacle Her face seems vaguely familiar, but I can’t quite place her. (=not well)· He could vaguely remember his mother’s face.
(=slightly)· I heard a weird sound vaguely resembling the bark of a dog.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· I was vaguely aware that my death was imminent.· I was vaguely aware that some of the people in the gym were hungry.· Trembling and a little afraid, she gently struggled, vaguely aware that her husband was in the next room.· I was vaguely aware that junior was trying to persuade the others to do something.· He was vaguely aware that he was driving rather better than usual.· I was vaguely aware of Oluf.· He was vaguely aware of some of his own Dalwolsey men, led by Wattie Kerr, at his back.· I was vaguely aware that Olympia & York was involved in property.
· She began to feel vaguely familiar with the names of drinks and their prices.· His voice, warm and slightly drunk, sounded vaguely familiar.· Although the old Victorian building with its spine of hutted wards was a vaguely familiar place, it was by no means home.· The voice on the other end of the line was vaguely familiar.· The young man had seemed vaguely familiar.· Her face was vaguely familiar, and Floyd suddenly became aware that the Administrator was looking at him with a quizzical smile.· The other was of a man, plumpish and vaguely familiar.
VERB· She was right on the other side of the shower door, her plump form vaguely defined through the milky glass.
· She began to feel vaguely familiar with the names of drinks and their prices.· Lying in the speeding police van, Gao Yang felt vaguely motion. sick.· She felt vaguely flattered, it was odd.· Although he felt vaguely sorry for Bill.· He felt vaguely sorry for Fergus.· He felt vaguely depressed and lost.· Because I felt vaguely grateful, I've been nice to him.· She often made me feel vaguely guilty, as if I'd forgotten to clean my teeth or was wearing a grubby shirt.
· She knew vaguely what to expect.· I vaguely knew his wife - I even liked her.· We know vaguely what she means, but we do not feel it for ourselves.
· Even Ted, who refuses to dance at home, is up and doing something that looks vaguely like the Mashed Potato.· She even thought he looked vaguely familiar, but then she realised it must be the type that seemed familiar.· Now that I looked at her I could see that Mrs McCue looked vaguely familiar.· I walked on for perhaps forty yards and stopped, lighting a cigarette and looking vaguely in his direction.
· I vaguely recall writing down the codes months ago and losing whatever it was I wrote them on.· I vaguely recall something from long, long ago that involves cuddling by the fire.· I vaguely recall making an Airfix kit of that thing when I was a kid.· Well, I can still vaguely recall being taken to the hospital where my father was dying.· I vaguely recall the event, but I didn't take much notice.· I vaguely recalled that Amin had named one of his sons after him.
· I can vaguely remember my first day at school.· She could vaguely remember Annabel and Miranda's visit, but Clare hadn't come.· He remembers vaguely about all this from when he was living in the country.· She could vaguely remember her mother bathing her, but mostly she recalled her grandmother's strong arms.· I seem to vaguely remember you gave me some directions last time.
· At other times her minimalist approach seems vaguely stilted, and even her immensely watchable face can't carry the day.· The young man had seemed vaguely familiar.· All of this made him seem vaguely anarchic beside the bishop.· It drew alongside her, a pale blue Renault that seemed vaguely familiar.· It's Hallowe'en and the city seems vaguely unhinged.
· Hadn't she seen something like this once before? she thought vaguely.· How strange, she thought vaguely.· When it actually came to writing rather than vaguely thinking about his address, Henry found it more difficult than he had expected.· But that was all right, she thought vaguely.
· Arthur wondered vaguely what kind of job the man could have which let him take so much time off.· He wondered vaguely if he had strength to steam off stamps at this late point in his life.· Charles wondered vaguely if the old man had recognized him.· He wondered vaguely about going back to Mrs Short's boarding house and getting a pen and paper.
· A final warning ought not to be worded vaguely.· But he said the order was vaguely worded.
I vaguely remember a woman in a red dress standing outside the door. There was something vaguely familiar about him. I was vaguely aware of another figure by the door.2not clearly or exactly: His statement was very vaguely worded.3in a way that shows you are not thinking about what you are doing: He smiled vaguely at the ceiling.