1
: blocking the passage of radiant energy and especially light : exhibiting opacity
opaque glass
the opaque water of the muddy river
(see opacity sense 1)
2
a
: hard to understand or explain
opaque prose
b
archaic
: obtuse, thickheaded
opaque
noun
opaquely
adverb
opaqueness
noun
Synonyms of opaque
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
Arguments about who can communicate with which audiences, whether science writers are irresponsible or scientists hopelessly opaque, continue.
—Literary Hub, 20 Mar. 2026
Blume might have probed this kind of opaque friendship breakup in one of her novels.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2026
Another story examined opaque investor financing arrangements used by some firms.
—Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
Internxt is built for people who actually care about privacy — developers, founders, security-conscious teams, and anyone who doesn’t love the idea of their files sitting on opaque servers.
—Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for opaque
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Literary Hub, 20 Mar. 2026
Blume might have probed this kind of opaque friendship breakup in one of her novels.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2026
Another story examined opaque investor financing arrangements used by some firms.
—Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
Internxt is built for people who actually care about privacy — developers, founders, security-conscious teams, and anyone who doesn’t love the idea of their files sitting on opaque servers.
—Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for opaque
Cite this Entry
“Opaque.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opaque. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Medical Definition
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
