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
Websites that publish product reviews are constantly tweaking the content of their buying recommendations in an effort to convince the opaque Google algorithm that the website includes high-quality reviews of products that have been thoroughly tested by real humans.
—Reece Rogers, Wired News, 28 Apr. 2025
What causes these changes and how such fluctuations affect farm or manufacturing employment or output are as opaque as whether higher import tariffs are good or bad.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 27 Apr. 2025
Mercedes-Benz Presumably, the rear windows tint to opaque automatically when all that equipment kicks into high gear, concealing the boisterous rolling karaoke bar from seriously distracting surrounding traffic.
—New Atlas, 24 Apr. 2025
You should be prepared for a process that can be lengthy, often opaque and, at times, emotionally taxing.
—Hannah Ma, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opaque
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Reece Rogers, Wired News, 28 Apr. 2025
What causes these changes and how such fluctuations affect farm or manufacturing employment or output are as opaque as whether higher import tariffs are good or bad.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 27 Apr. 2025
Mercedes-Benz Presumably, the rear windows tint to opaque automatically when all that equipment kicks into high gear, concealing the boisterous rolling karaoke bar from seriously distracting surrounding traffic.
—New Atlas, 24 Apr. 2025
You should be prepared for a process that can be lengthy, often opaque and, at times, emotionally taxing.
—Hannah Ma, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 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 6 May. 2025.
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