imprecisely
imprecisely — 副詞
1. in a way that is not correct, exact, or clearly stated — for example, describing
不精確地
不準確或含糊地表達或描述
in a way that is not correct, exact, or clearly stated — for example, describing a location with the wrong street name, recalling a number without being sure, or wording a question so loosely that different people understand it differently.
Chen described the meeting place imprecisely, so the group ended up waiting at two different train station exits.
Chen 不精確地描述了會面地點，結果兩組人分別在火車站兩個不同出口等候。
verb + imprecisely for manner
The survey was written imprecisely, and nearly half the respondents misinterpreted the main question.
這份問卷寫得不夠精確，將近一半的受訪者都誤解了主要問題。
imprecisely modifies past-participle 'written'
Samir recalled the date only imprecisely, saying it was "sometime in early March."
Samir 只能不精確地記得日期，說大概是「三月初」。
The architect measured the room imprecisely, which caused the new cabinets to be five centimetres too wide.
那位建築師丈量房間時不夠精確，導致新櫥櫃寬了五公分。
"About fifty guests" was recorded imprecisely in the log; the actual count was forty-seven.
紀錄上不精確地寫著「約五十位賓客」，但實際人數是四十七人。
- vaguely
suggests a deliberate lack of detail rather than mere error
- loosely
emphasises a relaxed or careless approach to accuracy
- approximately
neutral, often used for numbers; less negative than 'imprecisely'
文法句型
verb + imprecisely
imprecisely + verb (past participle)
用法筆記
Frequently appears with verbs of communication (speak, describe, recall, state, phrase) and measurement (calculate, estimate, measure). Often used in passive constructions when the agent is unimportant.
常見錯誤
imprecisely — 形容詞
1. not giving exact details or clear information; lacking the accuracy needed for a
不精確的
不夠精確或清楚的
not giving exact details or clear information; lacking the accuracy needed for a particular purpose — for example, a scale that shows weight in whole kilograms when you need grams, or a deadline like "next week" instead of a specific date.
The recipe was frustrating — the imprecise measurements called for "a handful of flour" instead of a cup measurement.
那個食譜很令人沮喪——不精確的份量寫著「一把麵粉」，而不是用杯量來標示。
imprecise measurements — describing quantities
The old map was imprecise, placing the village three kilometres east of its actual location.
那張舊地圖標示不精確，把村莊的位置畫在實際地點以東三公里處。
"I'll call you later tonight" sounds imprecise — Elena preferred a specific time to expect the call.
「我今晚再打給你」聽起來不精確——Elena 希望有個確切的通話時間。
Takuya's imprecise translation lost the subtle humour of the original Japanese joke.
Takuya 的翻譯不夠精確，遺失了原本日文笑話裡那種微妙的幽默感。
The doctor warned that an imprecise diagnosis could lead to the wrong treatment plan.
醫生警告說，不精確的診斷可能會導致錯誤的治療方案。
- vague
emphasises lack of clarity or detail; can be intentional
- inexact
more neutral and technical; common in scientific contexts
- loose
informal; suggests flexibility rather than error
- approximate
neutral and often acceptable; not necessarily negative
文法句型
imprecise + noun
be + imprecise
用法筆記
Used with nouns related to information, measurement, and communication (estimate, measurement, description, translation, deadline, wording). Unlike 'vague', which suggests a deliberate lack of detail, 'imprecise' focuses on failure to meet a required standard of exactness.