diaphanous

adjective

di·aph·a·nous dī-ˈa-fə-nəs

Synonyms of diaphanous next

: characterized by such fineness of texture as to permit seeing through

diaphanous fabrics

a diaphanous curtain

: characterized by extreme delicacy of form : ethereal

painted diaphanous landscapes

: insubstantial, vague

had only a diaphanous hope of success

diaphanously adverb

diaphanousness noun

Did you know?

Can you guess which of the following words come from the same Greek root as diaphanous?

A. epiphany B. fancy C. phenomenon D. sycophant E. emphasis F. phase

The Greek word phainein shows through more clearly in some of our quiz words than others, but it underlies all of them. The groundwork for diaphanous was laid when phainein (meaning "to show") was combined with dia- (meaning "through"). From that pairing came the Greek diaphanēs, parent of the Medieval Latin diaphanus, which is the direct ancestor of our English word.

Examples of diaphanous in a Sentence

the bride wore a diaphanous veil

Recent Examples on the Web Her failsafe, office-appropriate neutrals are being replaced with diaphanous Oscar de La Renta shirt dresses and Goyard handbags. —

Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 4 Apr. 2024 Her fail-safe office-appropriate neutrals are being replaced with diaphanous Oscar de La Renta shirtdresses and Goyard handbags. —

Daniel Rodgers, Glamour, 3 Apr. 2024 Its motifs cohere with Renk’s diaphanous images matching Lenka’s pregnancy to the amniotic flow of the star clusters surrounding Jupiter. —

Armond White, National Review, 8 Mar. 2024 By the time the portrait was finished, the scrap of cloth had transformed on the canvas into a diaphanous dress. —

Leah Dolan, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024 There was indeed something Swinton-like in the cool, diaphanous quality of the materials. —

Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2024 That would explain all the diaphanous dresses—which had been ruched around the body in suggestive tugs and folds— inspired by the nude-illusion dress that Marilyn Monroe wore on her final public outing in 1962. —

Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2024 Try adding a silky throw on your couch or hanging diaphanous curtails to invoke the fluid movement of a jellyfish drifting through the water. —

Maggie Gillette, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Feb. 2024 Earlier this week, Kylie Jenner arrived at Jean Paul Gaultier and Simone Rocha’s spring 2024 Haute Couture show in nothing but a flesh-toned corset with a diaphanous sheet of fabric spilling from its bust. —

Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 26 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'diaphanous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

extension with -ous of Medieval Latin diafanus, diaphanus, borrowed from Greek diaphanḗs "transparent, manifest, conspicuous," adjective derivative from the stem of diaphaínein "to let be seen through," diaphaínesthai "to show through, be seen through," from dia- dia- + phaínein (active voice) "to bring to light, cause to appear," and phaínesthai (middle voice) "to become visible, come to light, appear" — more at fantasy entry 1