opaque

American  

[oh-peyk] / oʊˈpeɪk /

adjective

1. not transparent or translucent; impenetrable to light; not allowing light to pass through.

   Synonyms:

   muddy, cloudy, murky

2. not transmitting radiation, sound, heat, etc.

3. not shining or bright; dark; dull.

4. hard to understand; not clear or lucid; obscure.

   The problem remains opaque despite explanations.

5. dull, stupid, or unintelligent.

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noun

1. something that is opaque.

2. Photography. a coloring matter, usually black or red, used to render part of a negative opaque.

verb (used with object)

opaqued, opaquing

1. Photography. to cover up blemishes on (a negative), especially for making a printing plate.

2. to cause to become opaque.

opaque British  

/ əʊˈpeɪk /

adjective

1. not transmitting light; not transparent or translucent

2. not reflecting light; lacking lustre or shine; dull

3. not transmitting radiant energy, such as electromagnetic or corpuscular radiation, or sound

4. hard to understand; unintelligible

5. unintelligent; dense

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noun

1. photog an opaque pigment used to block out particular areas on a negative

verb

1. to make opaque

2. photog to block out particular areas, such as blemishes, on (a negative), using an opaque

opaque Scientific  

/ ō-pāk′ /

1. 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.

2. Compare translucent transparent

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Other Word Forms

• opaquely adverb
• opaqueness noun
• subopaque adjective
• subopaquely adverb
• subopaqueness noun

Etymology

Origin of opaque

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English opake, from Latin opācus “shaded”

Example Sentences

And like subprime, private credit is opaque, mostly unregulated and connected to other parts of the financial system including banks.

From The Wall Street Journal

Investors are yanking money out of the opaque funds, lifting withdrawals to record highs.

From The Wall Street Journal

The complaint by FSE and Euroconsumers to the European Commission says Fifa has taken advantage of its position "to impose excessive ticket prices and opaque and unfair purchasing conditions and processes on European fans".

From BBC

As with private equity, the grading of private loans is more opaque than for their public market counterparts.

From Barron's

Another story examined opaque investor financing arrangements used by some firms.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• blurred
• cloudy
• dirty
• dull
• frosty
• gloomy
• hazy
• impenetrable
• murky
• thick