vague joke

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "vague joke" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a joke that lacks clarity or specificity, making it difficult to understand or appreciate. Example: "His attempt at humor fell flat because it was just a vague joke that nobody could relate to."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Then the rush to make a trenchant if vague joke.

The New York Times

His only other utterance in the decade a vague joke about his reviled alma mater, Yale University, made during a moment of cross-talk among the justices in 2013 sent journalists into a mild panic.

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

IN THEORY, "Pride" is a comedy drama based on a true story, but after a while it stops being a film and turns into a hen party: a raucous, disco-soundtracked excuse to dance, drink cocktails and stagger around, guffawing at vaguely rude jokes.

The Economist

Am I going to go to jail for RT'ing one of Jimmy Carr's shit, snide, vaguely racist jokes?

Vice

The sketches, filmed in front of a live studio audience, switch between schlocky Soviet comedy, featuring vaguely raunchy jokes about sex and vodka, and lame stunts featuring literal clowns.

Vice

But while 2DTV at least attempted to scrape together some vaguely original jokes (Bill Gates Windowss 2000-generated house crashing and vanishing must have been decent enough if I still just about remember it) Newzoids made no such effort.

Vice

Thing is, this could have all been a vaguely amusing cracker joke, had it not been for their follow up tweet which said: "Just as it became unacceptable to use racist, homophobic, or ableist language, phrases that trivialize cruelty to animals will vanish as more people begin to appreciate animals for who they are and start 'bringing home the bagels' instead of the bacon".

Vice

As long as I smile vaguely and laugh at his jokes, he may not even notice.

Huffington Post

If that Toronto mistake was indeed some kind of joke (a vague reference to Jeopardy host Alex Trebek's Canadian hometown perhaps?) than we're closer than we thought.

TechCrunch

In the following clip, Leno blindsides his audience with a joke so vague they can't figure out if he's delivered the punchline or is still setting it up.

Huffington Post

So she tends to speak in vague generalizations, or in jokes.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Pair "vague joke" with descriptive adjectives to specify the type of vagueness. For example, 'a vaguely racist joke'.

Common error

Avoid assuming that a "vague joke" is always unintentional. Comedians sometimes use vagueness deliberately to create a sense of unease or to provoke thought, instead of overt hilarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "vague joke" functions primarily as a descriptive term. It combines the adjective "vague", indicating a lack of clarity, with the noun "joke", referring to something said or done to cause amusement. Ludwig confirms its grammatical correctness.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "vague joke" is a grammatically sound and usable expression to describe a joke that lacks clarity or precision. As Ludwig confirms, the phrase is correct. While relatively rare in occurrence, it's primarily found in news and media contexts. Alternatives such as "unclear joke" or "ambiguous joke" can be used depending on the specific nuance you want to convey. When using "vague joke", be mindful that vagueness can be both intentional and unintentional in humor.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

unclear joke

Replaces "vague" with "unclear", emphasizing the lack of comprehensibility.

ambiguous joke

Substitutes "vague" with "ambiguous", highlighting the joke's multiple possible interpretations.

obscure joke

Replaces "vague" with "obscure", indicating that the joke is not easily understood due to its subtlety or indirectness.

nebulous joke

Uses "nebulous" instead of "vague", suggesting the joke is hazy and ill-defined.

imprecise joke

Replaces "vague" with "imprecise", emphasizing the joke's lack of exactness or detail.

ill-defined joke

Replaces "vague" with "ill-defined", focusing on the joke's lack of clear boundaries or meaning.

poorly articulated joke

Describes a joke that is not clearly expressed.

incomprehensible joke

Indicates that the joke is impossible to understand.

badly explained joke

Focuses on the poor delivery or explanation of the joke, leading to its vagueness.

indistinct joke

Uses "indistinct" to highlight the lack of clarity and sharpness in the joke.

FAQs

What does "vague joke" mean?

A "vague joke" is a joke that lacks clarity or specificity, making it difficult to understand or appreciate. The punchline might be unclear, or the context might be missing.

How to use "vague joke" in a sentence?

You can use "vague joke" in a sentence like: "His attempt at humor fell flat because it was just a "vague joke" that nobody could relate to."

What can I say instead of "vague joke"?

You can use alternatives like "unclear joke", "ambiguous joke", or "obscure joke" depending on the context.

Is "vague joke" grammatically correct?

Yes, "vague joke" is grammatically correct. It follows standard English grammar rules as an adjective-noun combination.