1
: blocking the passage of radiant energy and especially light : exhibiting opacity (see opacity sense 1)
2
a
: hard to understand or explain
opaque prose
b
opaque
noun
opaquely
adverb
opaqueness
noun
Examples of opaque in a Sentence
In the opening hour, a group of strangers receive a maddeningly opaque cell-phone summons to join a secret cross-country race with a $32 million prize. The thing is, the summons can also be a threat (one competitor's wife is possibly being held captive), and the consequences of falling behind are murderous.
—
Tom Gliatto, People, 23 Apr. 2007
The reality facing Rory Stewart was that he was sent into a collapsed rural region in a country of which he knew almost nothing, and in which he had to find his way through a maze of opaque tribal and religious relationships.
—Robert Skidelsky, New York Review of Books, 5 Oct. 2006
Arborio rice, the kind that grows in the Po Valley and gave rise to the wonderful dish risotto, has a tiny opaque white pearl on the inside that remains al dente, and starch on the outside that the grains release during cooking, making a creamy sauce.
—Corby Kummer, Atlantic, March 1993
the opaque water of the muddy river
somehow listeners seem to connect with the songwriter, despite his deeply personal, often opaque lyrics
Tom Gliatto, People, 23 Apr. 2007
The reality facing Rory Stewart was that he was sent into a collapsed rural region in a country of which he knew almost nothing, and in which he had to find his way through a maze of opaque tribal and religious relationships.
—Robert Skidelsky, New York Review of Books, 5 Oct. 2006
Arborio rice, the kind that grows in the Po Valley and gave rise to the wonderful dish risotto, has a tiny opaque white pearl on the inside that remains al dente, and starch on the outside that the grains release during cooking, making a creamy sauce.
—Corby Kummer, Atlantic, March 1993
the opaque water of the muddy river
somehow listeners seem to connect with the songwriter, despite his deeply personal, often opaque lyrics
Recent Examples on the Web
From matte and hydrating to tinted and opaque, here are the most flattering nude lipsticks to swipe on.
—Claire Sullivan, WWD, 28 Feb. 2025
This is a step toward rebuilding trust in a system that often feels impersonal and opaque.
—Chris Bowen, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
It’s packed with conditioning ingredients like biotin, but comes in colors that are just as opaque as regular polish.
—Jessica Kasparian, SELF, 25 Feb. 2025
The day after Trump's inauguration, the staffers wrote, they were summoned to a series of interviews that previewed the opaque and disruptive operations of Musk's DOGE.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opaque
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Claire Sullivan, WWD, 28 Feb. 2025
This is a step toward rebuilding trust in a system that often feels impersonal and opaque.
—Chris Bowen, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
It’s packed with conditioning ingredients like biotin, but comes in colors that are just as opaque as regular polish.
—Jessica Kasparian, SELF, 25 Feb. 2025
The day after Trump's inauguration, the staffers wrote, they were summoned to a series of interviews that previewed the opaque and disruptive operations of Musk's DOGE.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opaque
Cite this Entry
“Opaque.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opaque. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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