opaque

C2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /oʊˈpeɪk/ UK /əʊˈpeɪk/ See IPA manual

adj noun Freq #37196

Meanings

1

adj
Not allowing light to pass through; not transparent.

The bathroom window was made of opaque glass for privacy.
2

adj
Hard to understand or unclear in meaning.

The contract was written in such opaque language that no one could follow it.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 adj · hard to understand or... obscure

More adiaphanousnontransparentopacousopacularthick

Opposites

bright brilliant clear oblique obvioussee-throughtranslucent transparent turbid

Word family

Derived forms nonopaqueopacifyopaquelyopaquenopaquenessradio-opaqueradiopaquesemiopaquesubopaqueunopaque

Related forms opacity

Etymology

From Middle English opake, from Latin opacus (“shaded, shady, dark”) (of unknown origin), later reinforced from Middle French opaque. Doublet of ubac.

opake Middle English opacus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

# opaque

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** adj, noun
**IPA (US):** oʊˈpeɪk
**IPA (UK):** əʊˈpeɪk
**Frequency rank:** 37196

## Meanings
1. Not allowing light to pass through; not transparent.
2. Hard to understand or unclear in meaning.

## Examples
- The bathroom window was made of opaque glass for privacy.
- The contract was written in such opaque language that no one could follow it.

## Synonyms
- adiaphanous
- nontransparent
- opacous
- opacular
- thick

## Antonyms
- bright
- brilliant
- clear
- oblique
- obvious
- see-through
- translucent
- transparent
- turbid

## Derived Forms
- nonopaque
- opacify
- opaquely
- opaquen
- opaqueness
- radio-opaque
- radiopaque
- semiopaque
- subopaque
- unopaque

## Related Forms
- opacity

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: opake
- Root: opacus

## Etymology
From Middle English opake, from Latin opacus (“shaded, shady, dark”) (of unknown origin), later reinforced from Middle French opaque. Doublet of ubac.

## AI Etymology
Opaque is from Middle English opake, from Latin opacus (“shaded, shady, dark”) (of unknown origin), later reinforced from Middle French opaque. Doublet of ubac. Important recorded forms include opake (Middle English) and opacus (Latin). Current senses include not allowing light to pass through; not transparent and hard to understand or unclear in meaning. The wider family includes derived forms such as nonopaque, opacify, opaquely, opaquen, and opaqueness; related words such as opacity.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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opaque

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