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
At the same time, the release of Kepner’s public death certificate and related filings offers rare insight into an otherwise opaque investigation, raising broader questions about transparency, juvenile justice, and the handling of suspicious deaths aboard cruise ships.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025
While a succession of treaties and opaque power-sharing deals have determined who rules in Kinshasa, the violence in the eastern hinterlands has never stopped.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
The idea is to make the window as opaque as possible.
—Joan Morris, Mercury News, 24 Nov. 2025
The earmark process has recently changed in an attempt to add transparency to a process oft-criticized for being opaque to taxpayers.
—Lily Altavena, Freep.com, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opaque
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025
While a succession of treaties and opaque power-sharing deals have determined who rules in Kinshasa, the violence in the eastern hinterlands has never stopped.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
The idea is to make the window as opaque as possible.
—Joan Morris, Mercury News, 24 Nov. 2025
The earmark process has recently changed in an attempt to add transparency to a process oft-criticized for being opaque to taxpayers.
—Lily Altavena, Freep.com, 24 Nov. 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 27 Nov. 2025.
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