expression, na-adjective
Idiomatic expression describing something as intangible or hard to grasp, like trying to catch a cloud. Often used for abstract concepts, plans, or feelings that lack clarity.
彼の説明は雲をつかむようで、何を言いたいのかさっぱりわからなかった。
His explanation was so vague that I had no idea what he wanted to say.
将来の計画がまだ雲をつかむような状態だ。
Our future plans are still hazy.
漠然 is a more formal, Sino-Japanese adjective meaning 'vague' or 'obscure', while 雲をつかむよう is a vivid idiomatic expression emphasizing elusiveness.
あいまい means 'ambiguous' or 'vague' in a general sense, often for statements or boundaries; 雲をつかむよう specifically conveys the feeling of something being intangible and hard to pin down.
Literally 'like grasping a cloud', a metaphorical expression for something intangible and elusive. The exact origin is uncertain, but it is a natural simile based on the impossibility of catching a cloud.