opalescent

1 of 2

adjective

opal·​es·​cent ˌō-pə-ˈle-sᵊnt 

: reflecting an iridescent light

opalescence

ˌō-pə-ˈle-sᵊn(t)s 

noun

opalescently

ˌō-pə-ˈle-sᵊnt-lē 

adverb

opalescence

2 of 2

noun

opal·​es·​cence ˌōpəˈlesᵊn(t)s 

plural -s

: the quality or state of being opalescent

that mother-of-pearl opalescence which shimmers in the hollowness of certain seashells

—J. C. Powys

Synonyms of opalescent

Adjective

• iridescent
• nacreous
• colorful
• pearlescent

Examples of opalescent in a Sentence

Adjective

once given away as a cheap prize at carnivals, this opalescent glass is now highly prized by collectors

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

On the lagoon, villas open out onto sweeping wooden decks with opalescent plunge pools, cabanas, floor hammocks that hover over the sea as well as steps that lead right into it. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 June 2026

Look to opalescent chrome powders, which can shift from pink to blue to green and give a milky white manicure underneath some unexpected pizzazz. — Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 23 May 2026

Orlando sees their house from a distance below them, small as an opalescent shell. — Literary Hub, 5 Mar. 2026

As the world outside begins to resemble the full-moon mating frenzy of the opalescent squid, crack open Sylvia Townsend Warner’s 1948 novel about nuns eking out an existence in a 14th-century convent and one night of celibacy might not seem so bad. — Air Mail, 14 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

opal + -escence

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1813, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for opalescent

• acquiescent
• adolescent
• arborescent
• coalescent
• convalescent
• deliquescent
• effervescent
• evanescent
• incandescent
• iridescent
• luminescent
• obsolescent

Medical Definition

opalescent

adjective

opal·​es·​cent ˌō-pə-ˈles-ᵊnt 

: reflecting an iridescent light

saliva is a viscous opalescent fluid

opalescence

-ᵊn(t)s 

noun

opalescently

-ᵊnt-lē 

adverb