as in iridescent
having a rainbowlike play of colors
once given away as a cheap prize at carnivals, this opalescent glass is now highly prized by collectors
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of opalescent
Each charm is made-to-order and features Prescription Kiss’ signature, glowing opalescent eyes.
—
Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 11 Oct. 2025
But sometimes the criteria for inclusion are murkier, as in Catherine Opie’s opalescent views of Lake Michigan, one for each season, hung with their horizons in line.
—Lori Waxman, Chicago Tribune, 21 July 2025
In the crowd, Taraji P. Henson and her hairstylist Tym Wallace showed up in matching opalescent grills with the former in a dirty blonde pompadour pixie.
—India Espy-Jones, Essence, 12 May 2025
Mike Navarro, an oceanographer at the University of Alaska Southeast, studied opalescent squids during his PhD at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
—Jules Jacobs, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for opalescent
Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 11 Oct. 2025
But sometimes the criteria for inclusion are murkier, as in Catherine Opie’s opalescent views of Lake Michigan, one for each season, hung with their horizons in line.
—Lori Waxman, Chicago Tribune, 21 July 2025
In the crowd, Taraji P. Henson and her hairstylist Tym Wallace showed up in matching opalescent grills with the former in a dirty blonde pompadour pixie.
—India Espy-Jones, Essence, 12 May 2025
Mike Navarro, an oceanographer at the University of Alaska Southeast, studied opalescent squids during his PhD at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
—Jules Jacobs, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for opalescent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opalescent
Adjective
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Holographic Shine When thinking of ultimate shine, the iridescent finish of a holographic nail is top-tier.—
Audrey Noble,
Vogue,
19 Dec. 2025
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In addition to the Swarovski pair, Morant also previewed one iteration with an iridescent upper and another in metallic silver.—
Ian Servantes,
Footwear News,
16 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Quahogs produce non-nacreous, porcelainlike pearls, according to the Gemological Institute of America.—
Shannon Marvel McNaught,
USA TODAY,
16 Aug. 2022
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Markov processes include an element of randomness—in this case, the thickness of the outermost nacreous layer—but one that can be influenced by the system’s history.—
Leila Sloman,
Popular Mechanics,
28 Feb. 2022
Adjective
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The city’s colorful outdoor food markets lay abandoned—the usual smell of ripe papaya replaced by the stench of yesterday’s scraps, rotting in the heat.—
Armando Ledezma,
New Yorker,
14 Jan. 2026
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This colorful, high-energy show loved by preschoolers the world over is raising the curtain on its second season on January 30, 2026.—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
14 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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But the colors, ranging from cyan to deepest cobalt, owe more to the geology of the archipelago and to the reflective quality of its pearlescent white sand.—
Henry Wismayer,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Jan. 2026
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Light pink pearlescent French tips are perfectly accompanied by small pearl stones.—
Odeya Pinkus,
InStyle,
2 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Opalescent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opalescent. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
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