曖昧

aimai
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vague, ambiguous, unclear, shady, questionable
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Lacking a clear shape, meaning or position.

Examples

  • その店は昔、曖昧な商売をしていたらしい。
    That shop apparently ran a shady business years ago.
  • 契約の条件が曖昧だ。
    The contract terms are unclear.
  • 二人の関係はまだ曖昧なままだ。
    Their relationship is still undefined.
  • 記事はその会社と曖昧な団体のつながりを示した。
    The article showed links between the company and a questionable group.
  • 彼は質問に曖昧な返事をした。
    He gave an ambiguous answer to the question.

Similar words

どっちつかず
不明瞭
怪しい
うさんくさい
漠然
あやふや
いかがわしい

Meanings

Unclear or open to interpretation

adjective
communication
neutral
Not clear enough to settle what something means, where it stands, or who is responsible.

Examples

  • 彼は質問に曖昧な返事をした。
    He gave an ambiguous answer to the question.
  • 契約の条件が曖昧だ。
    The contract terms are unclear.
  • 責任の所在を曖昧にしないでください。
    Please do not leave responsibility unclear.
  • 二人の関係はまだ曖昧なままだ。
    Their relationship is still undefined.
  • この文は意味が曖昧で、二通りに読める。
    This sentence is ambiguous and can be read two ways.

Similar words

Questionable or shady

adjective
social
informal
Suggesting something suspicious or improper without saying plainly what is wrong.

Examples

  • その店は昔、曖昧な商売をしていたらしい。
    That shop apparently ran a shady business years ago.
  • 彼は曖昧な噂のある人物だ。
    He is someone surrounded by questionable rumors.
  • 曖昧な場所には近づかないほうがいい。
    It is better to avoid shady places.
  • 記事はその会社と曖昧な団体のつながりを示した。
    The article showed links between the company and a questionable group.
  • その金の出どころには曖昧な点が多い。
    The source of that money has many suspicious points.

Similar words

Etymology

Both characters originally carry the idea of darkness or poor visibility, which gives the figurative sense of unclear meaning.

FAQ

What does 曖昧 mean?

Lacking a clear shape, meaning or position.

How do you read 曖昧?

It is read あいまい, written aimai.

When would you use 曖昧?

The common sense covers words, answers, boundaries and responsibility; a separate, less common sense hints at disreputable dealings.

How is 曖昧 different from あやふや?

あやふや often suggests uncertainty or haziness; this can also describe deliberate refusal to make something clear.

How does 曖昧 change in a sentence?

A na-adjective: 曖昧な, 曖昧だ, 曖昧に.

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