unclear message
Garbled transmitted meaning
An unclear message is communication that fails to convey its intended meaning—whether through vague wording, poor organization, or missing context.
The phrase appears in discussions of writing, workplace communication, and interpersonal relationships: The unclear message left everyone confused about next steps.
Error notifications sometimes report an unclear message when data is garbled or incomplete.
- vagueUnclear, ill-defined
- confusingCausing mental uncertainty
- garbledConfused and unintelligible
- mixed signalsContradictory indications from someone
- ambiguousHaving multiple interpretations
cryptic · reading between lines · muddled · fine print · static · noise · white noise · lost signal · distorted · hazy · fuzzy · misunderstood · lost in translation · scrambled · incoherent · word salad · riddle · double meaning
- miscommunicationmix-up, mixed signals, confusion, crossed wires, misinterpreted
- misunderstandingsmisunderstanding, misinterpretation, misconception, misreading, miscommunication
- presentation mistakesstage fright, nervousness, forgetting lines, rushing, mumbling
unclear, message, clear, clearly, clarity, clarify, clarification, unclearly, clearer