vaporous
vaporous — adjective
- vaporouspositive
- more vaporouscomparative
- most vaporoussuperlative
1. containing or made up of visible moisture in the air, such as mist, steam, or fo
containing or made up of visible moisture in the air, such as mist, steam, or fog.
The morning air felt cool and vaporous as Putri walked through the rice fields.
attributive use: vaporous + noun describing air
Steam from the hot springs rose in a vaporous cloud above the rocky valley.
collocation: vaporous cloud
Takeshi wiped the vaporous film from the bathroom mirror after his shower.
A vaporous haze hung over the lake at dawn, hiding the far shore from view.
- solid
vaporous substances are gas-like, not solid
文法句型
vaporous + noun
be + vaporous
用法筆記
Predicative use (e.g. 'the air was vaporous') is less common than attributive use before a noun.
常見錯誤
2. so light, thin, or delicate in appearance that it is difficult to see clearly or
so light, thin, or delicate in appearance that it is difficult to see clearly or grasp, like something seen through mist.
The dancer's vaporous silk scarf floated behind her as she spun across the stage.
collocation: vaporous + fabric (silk scarf)
Through the vaporous curtains, Ingrid could barely make out the shapes of the garden trees.
Moonlight shone through the vaporous clouds, casting a soft silver glow on the snow.
The old photograph showed a vaporous figure standing by the door, its face blurred by age.
- ethereal
more spiritual or otherworldly; vaporous focuses on the visual quality of being mist-like
- wispy
suggests thinness in strands or streaks; vaporous is more diffuse and cloud-like
- insubstantial
emphasises lack of physical substance more broadly, while vaporous keeps the mist/air comparison
- solid
firm and easy to see or touch, opposite of the delicate, barely-visible quality
- substantial
clearly present and noticeable, not faint or unclear in form
文法句型
vaporous + noun
be + vaporous
用法筆記
Common in literary or descriptive writing. Avoid in everyday conversation — use 'misty', 'hazy', or 'faint' instead for plainer speech.
3. not expressed in a clear or definite way, so that the listener or reader is unsu
not expressed in a clear or definite way, so that the listener or reader is unsure about what is actually meant — for example, a promise that sounds good but gives no real details.
The politician's vaporous promises gave the audience no real sense of what would change.
figurative collocation: vaporous promises
Nikhil's explanation of the budget was so vaporous that nobody knew what had been decided.
Sofia's vaporous reply to the question suggested she had not thought the matter through.
The report contained only vaporous statements about improving safety, without any specific steps.
Adaeze found the essay's argument too vaporous to follow, with no solid evidence anywhere.
- vague
the common word for unclear expression; vaporous is more literary and suggests a deliberate lack of substance
- hazy
suggests confusion rather than deliberate evasiveness; vaporous can imply intentional vagueness
- imprecise
focuses on lack of exactness, while vaporous suggests an overall lack of real content
文法句型
vaporous + noun (idea, promise, statement)
用法筆記
Use only in formal or critical contexts when describing speech or writing that deliberately avoids giving details. In everyday speech, 'vague' or 'unclear' is more natural.