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
But the stakes are high under China’s opaque judicial system, which legal observers say has a conviction rate around 99%.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025
The lip treatment ampoules are infused with argan oil, omega 6 and hyaluronic acid and feature a relatively opaque pigment to align with the impact of the Contour It Lip Pencils.
—Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2025
JPMorgan was similarly forced to write off $170 million in bad debt to Tricolor, and its CEO said the two auto bankruptcies had highlighted concerns about other risky players reliant on opaque forms of financing.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Given the first episode’s fatal climax, the story’s future is nebulous and opaque.
—Andrew McGowan, Variety, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opaque
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Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025
The lip treatment ampoules are infused with argan oil, omega 6 and hyaluronic acid and feature a relatively opaque pigment to align with the impact of the Contour It Lip Pencils.
—Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2025
JPMorgan was similarly forced to write off $170 million in bad debt to Tricolor, and its CEO said the two auto bankruptcies had highlighted concerns about other risky players reliant on opaque forms of financing.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Given the first episode’s fatal climax, the story’s future is nebulous and opaque.
—Andrew McGowan, Variety, 27 Oct. 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 31 Oct. 2025.
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