nebuloso
Lemma Details
Translation: nebulous; cloudy; hazy; foggy; vague; unclear
Part of Speech: adjective
Etymology: Derived from Latin 'nebulosus' meaning 'foggy' or 'cloudy', which comes from 'nebula' (mist, cloud, fog). The English cognate 'nebulous' shares the same Latin root. The word is related to astronomical nebulae - cloud-like formations of gas and dust in space. This connection between earthly fog and cosmic clouds highlights how ancient observers saw similarities between atmospheric and celestial phenomena.
Commonality: 40%
Guessability: 80%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
Su explicación fue nebulosa y no aclaró nada.
His explanation was nebulous and didn't clarify anything.
El futuro del proyecto parece nebuloso después del cambio de dirección.
The future of the project seems unclear after the change in management.
El cielo nebuloso anunciaba lluvia.
The cloudy sky announced rain.
Tiene ideas nebulosas sobre cómo resolver el problema.
He has vague ideas about how to solve the problem.
Mnemonics
- Think of a 'nebula' in space - cloudy and unclear, just like something that is 'nebuloso'.
- Remember 'nebuloso' sounds like 'nebulous' in English - both mean vague or unclear.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Cultural Context
While commonly used in literary contexts to describe weather conditions, 'nebuloso' is increasingly used in everyday Spanish to describe unclear situations, vague explanations, or ambiguous statements, especially in political or business contexts.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While both 'nebuloso' and 'nublado' can refer to cloudy conditions, 'nublado' specifically refers to cloud cover and weather conditions, while 'nebuloso' has broader applications including figurative uses for vagueness or lack of clarity.
Confused word:
El día está nublado.
The day is cloudy.
Notes: 'Nebuloso' is more commonly used in figurative contexts, while 'nublado' is more frequently used for literal weather descriptions.
Mnemonic: 'Nebuloso' contains 'nebula' (cosmic clouds) suggesting something more abstract, while 'nublado' relates to 'nube' (cloud) suggesting more concrete weather conditions.
Explanation: 'Nebuloso' is an adjective describing something unclear or foggy, while 'neblina' is a noun referring specifically to mist or fog as a weather phenomenon.
This word:
El concepto es nebuloso y difícil de entender.
The concept is nebulous and difficult to understand.
Notes: Both share the same Latin root related to clouds and fog, but function differently grammatically.
Mnemonic: Think of 'nebuloso' as describing something (-oso ending indicates an adjective), while 'neblina' is the thing itself (a noun).