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vapory

vapory

8.8
Not clear or strong, with little real detail
  • adjective
  • /ˈveɪpəri/
  • Literature
translation icon : vaporoso
  • Her plans for the future seemed vapory, lacking any concrete details.

Examples

  • Edwards and his colleagues described Kingsley as a woman "with a weak, vapory habit," and they maintained that she had "greatly trusted in herself" in usurping ministerial authority.

    Academic text (2005)
  • "Once or twice I've used Molly Bloom's 'O rocks!' -- meaning that things have become rather vapory and ungrounded; put it plainly.

    Academic text (2017)
  • The author's ideas were so vapory that it was hard to follow his argument.

  • His story was filled with vapory concepts that left the listeners confused.

Synonyms

cloudy
vsvapory
12 3.5

A thought that is not clear or detailed

focuses on unclear ideas rather than delicate, unsubstantial quality
airy
vsvapory
6 3.4

Very light and delicate, often seeming to float

stresses vague lack of solidity usually used in figurative contexts
vacuous
vsvapory
  • Formal
5 8.1

Having no real meaning or importance

describes empty or pointless content rather than light vague quality
floaty
vsvapory
4 4.2

Light, soft fabric like a dress or curtains that moves easily in the air

describes figurative insubstance, not only buoyant physical lightness
wispy
vsvapory
3 4.6

Faint and not clear, like a weak memory or light outline

means lacking substance in idea or form rather than physical thinness
vaporous
vsvapory
  • US
1 7.2

Light and not solid, like a dream fading at dawn

is a figurative lack of solidity rather than literal mistiness
vaporific
vsvapory
  • US
9.9

Looking light and cloudy like steam or mist

uses figurative vagueness instead of describing real steam
vaporish
vsvapory
  • US
9.9

Thin and faint like a light mist

is mainly figurative vagueness rather than physical steam

Antonyms

35 5.0

Real and based on facts that can be shown

How Substantial

concrete
206 3.9
substantive
  • Formal
88 6.3
vapory
  • Literature
8.8
airy
6 3.4
ethereal
  • Literature
22 8.8

Surface Forms

vapory positive

Morphology

vapory = vapor (semi-transparent) = vapor + y

The word is regularly formed from 'vapor' + '-y', but the figurative sense 'lacking substance' is a metaphorical extension and not fully derivable from the literal base.

Etymology

Vapory is from the same root as vapor and evaporate, which mean 'steam' or 'to turn into steam'. So a vapory idea or promise is like steam—there but not solid, easy to disappear or hard to hold.