opaque
Americanadjective
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not transparent or translucent; impenetrable to light; not allowing light to pass through.
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not transmitting radiation, sound, heat, etc.
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not shining or bright; dark; dull.
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hard to understand; not clear or lucid; obscure.
The problem remains opaque despite explanations.
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dull, stupid, or unintelligent.
noun
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something that is opaque.
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Photography. a coloring matter, usually black or red, used to render part of a negative opaque.
verb (used with object)
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Photography. to cover up blemishes on (a negative), especially for making a printing plate.
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to cause to become opaque.
adjective
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not transmitting light; not transparent or translucent
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not reflecting light; lacking lustre or shine; dull
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not transmitting radiant energy, such as electromagnetic or corpuscular radiation, or sound
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hard to understand; unintelligible
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unintelligent; dense
noun
verb
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to make opaque
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photog to block out particular areas, such as blemishes, on (a negative), using an opaque
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Resistant to the transmission of certain kinds of radiation, usually light. Metals and many minerals are opaque to light, while being transparent to radio waves and neutrinos.
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Compare translucent transparent
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of opaque
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English opake, from Latin opācus “shaded”
Explanation
Use the adjective opaque either for something that doesn't allow light to pass through (like a heavy curtain) or for something difficult to understand (like bureaucratic gobbledygook). Opaque is from a Latin word meaning "dark," and that was its original sense in English, but it now means literally "not transparent" or metaphorically "hard to understand; unclear": "Some of his sentences are really opaque." It used to be spelled opake, which made the pronunciation clearer, but we then borrowed the more opaque French spelling. Come to think of it, English spelling is often pretty opaque, which makes it hard for learners of the language to master.
Vocabulary lists containing opaque
Ender's Game
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A Thousand Splendid Suns
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The Things They Carried
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It is complicated, bordering on confusing, and that must be one of the reasons it can feel so opaque to people.
From BBC • May 14, 2026
The music biz feels more opaque to you?
From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026
Private-markets lending has surged in popularity with investors but stumbled in recent months after worries over valuations, opaque structures and exposures to struggling business sectors such as software.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026
"Classified workloads are by definition opaque," said one organizing employee, who was not named in the statement.
From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026
Hideo’s face is clouded with concern, his eyes opaque with that deep, dark fury I’d seen before in his Memory.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
