more or less
In the ballpark
More or less indicates approximation or rough accuracy—not exactly, but close enough.
It can modify quantities (There were fifty people there, more or less) or serve as a hedged yes ("Did you finish?" "More or less").
The phrase suggests the speaker isn't committed to precision.
In approximate terms
- aboutConcerning or approximately
- aroundIn the vicinity
- nearlyAlmost but incomplete
- almostShort of completely
approximately · close to · give or take · thereabouts · in the ballpark · plus or minus · ballpark · circa
Noncommittal maneuvering
- noncommittalNot expressing clear opinion
- evasiveAvoiding direct response
- wafflingEvasive, indecisive speech
- wishy-washyLacking firmness or decisiveness
fence-sitting · uncommitted · vague · indefinite · ambivalent · lukewarm · half-hearted · qualified
roughly
In approximate terms
almost · approximately · close to · give or take · thereabouts · in the ballpark · plus or minus · ballpark · circa · approaching
hedging
Noncommittal maneuvering
- noncommittalNot expressing clear opinion
- evasiveAvoiding direct response
- wafflingEvasive, indecisive speech
wishy-washy · fence-sitting · uncommitted · vague · indefinite · ambivalent · lukewarm · half-hearted · qualified · guarded
- not reallynot quite, sort of, kind of, maybe, hardly
- hedgessomewhat, I think, slightly, I believe, fairly
- comparisonscomparison, compare, comparative, analogy, metaphor
- filler phrasesum, uh, like, you know, I mean
- vague wordssomething, someone, somewhere, sometime, somehow
- approximationsabout, approximately, around, roughly, almost
more or lessexactly
With total accuracy
precisely · to the letter · on the dot · on the nose · specifically
more or lessabsolutely
Completely, without exception
completely · totally · entirely · wholly · utterly
more or lessdefinitely
With complete certainty
absolutely · certainly · unquestionably · undoubtedly · without a doubt
more, less, lesson, least, lesser, mores, moreover, moor, morel