Meanings
comparative more opaque · comparative opaquer · superlative most opaque · superlative opaquest · alternative obsolete opake
- Neither reflecting nor emitting light.
We have agreed that heat is energy to begin with. Light is also a form of energy for when absorbed by any opaque substance it turns completely into heat.
1968, Isaac Asimov, Photosynthesis, Basic Books, Inc., page 60 - Allowing little light to pass through, not translucent or transparent.
- figurativelyUnclear, unintelligible, hard to get or explain the meaning of.
- figurativelyObtuse, stupid.
- computingDescribes a data type for which higher-level callers have no knowledge of data values or their representations; all operations are carried out by the type's defined abstract operators.
plural opaques · alternative obsolete opake
- Something which is opaque rather than translucent.
1 more example
They can be obtained in various thicknesses and in many colors, including beautiful imitations of pearl, mother-of-pearl, veins and mottles, stratifications, roll stratifications, imitation corals, and all colors of translucents, transparents and opaques, grained ivory, shell (plain and corrugated mottle), onyx, wood effects, plaids, checks, stripes, metallic, bronze pearl plain, bronze pearl with fancy blocks, bronze pearl in veins and stripes, and what is called “essence pearl.”
1935 March, F. L. Nowosatka, “Making Colorful Modern Rings from Old Toothbrush Handles”, in Raymond J. Brown, editor, Popular Science Monthly, volume 126, number 3, New York, N.Y.: Popular Science Publishing Co., Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, “The Home Workshop” section, page 97, column 2
Synonyms & antonyms
antonym(s) of “physically”
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivenot transmitting or reflecting light or radiant energy; impenetrable to sight
adjectivehard or impossible to understand
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinopacus
- Middle Englishopake
- Middle Frenchopaqueinflu.
- Englishopaque
From Middle English opake, from Latin opacus (“shaded, shady, dark”) (of unknown origin), later reinforced from Middle French opaque. Doublet of ubac.
More words from Middle English, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic أَكْمَد
- أَكْمَد (ʔakmad)hindering light to pass through
Bulgarian ма́тов, непрозрачен
- ма́тов (mátov)neither reflecting nor emitting light
- непрозрачен (neprozračen)hindering light to pass through
- ма́тов (mátov)allowing little light to pass through
- неясен (nejasen)unclear, unintelligible, hard to get or explain the meaning of
- тъп (tăp)obtuse, stupid
- мрак (mrak)area of darkness
- правя матов (pravja matov)to render opaque
Catalan opac
- opachindering light to pass through
Chinese Mandarin 不透明
- 不透明 (bù tòumíng)hindering light to pass through
Czech neprůhledný
- neprůhlednýhindering light to pass through
Danish ugennemsigtig, uigennemsigtig
- ugennemsigtighindering light to pass through
- uigennemsigtighindering light to pass through
Dutch opaak, ondoorschijnend
- opaakhindering light to pass through
- ondoorschijnendhindering light to pass through
- ondoorzichtighindering light to pass through
Finnish läpinäkymätön, läpikuultamaton
- läpinäkymätönhindering light to pass through
- läpikuultamatonhindering light to pass through
French opaque
- opaquehindering light to pass through
German matt, dunkel
- mattneither reflecting nor emitting light
- dunkelneither reflecting nor emitting light
- undurchsichtighindering light to pass through
- undurchlässighindering light to pass through
- opakhindering light to pass through
- blickdichthindering light to pass through
- trüballowing little light to pass through
- trübeallowing little light to pass through
- milchigallowing little light to pass through
- unklarunclear, unintelligible, hard to get or explain the meaning of
- schleierhaftunclear, unintelligible, hard to get or explain the meaning of
- unverständlichunclear, unintelligible, hard to get or explain the meaning of
- Undurchsichtigkeitarea of darkness
- Trübnisarea of darkness
- Dunkelheitarea of darkness
- verschleiernarea of darkness
- Undurchsichtigessomething which is opaque
- Blickdichtessomething which is opaque
- trübento render opaque
- mattierento render opaque
- verdunkelnto render opaque
- verschleiernto render opaque
Greek αδιαφανής
- αδιαφανής (adiafanís)hindering light to pass through
Hungarian átlátszatlan, homályos
- átlátszatlanhindering light to pass through
- homályosallowing little light to pass through
- halványallowing little light to pass through
- homályosunclear, unintelligible, hard to get or explain the meaning of
- ködösunclear, unintelligible, hard to get or explain the meaning of
- érthetetlenunclear, unintelligible, hard to get or explain the meaning of
- tompaobtuse, stupid
- bambaobtuse, stupid
- nehéz felfogásúobtuse, stupid
Icelandic ógagnsær
- ógagnsærhindering light to pass through
Italian opaco, opaco
- opaconeither reflecting nor emitting light
- opacohindering light to pass through
- opacahindering light to pass through
- offuscatoallowing little light to pass through
- arcanounclear, unintelligible, hard to get or explain the meaning of
- oscurounclear, unintelligible, hard to get or explain the meaning of
Japanese 不透明な
- 不透明な (futōmei-na)hindering light to pass through
Korean 불투명(不透明)한
- 불투명(不透明)한 (bultumyeonghan)hindering light to pass through
Latvian necaurredzams, necaurspīdīgs
- necaurredzamshindering light to pass through
- necaurspīdīgshindering light to pass through
Malay legap
- legaphindering light to pass through
Māori puatakore
- puatakorehindering light to pass through
Norwegian opak, ugjennomsiktig
- opakhindering light to pass through
- ugjennomsiktighindering light to pass through
- ugjennomskinnelighindering light to pass through
Polish nieprzezroczysty, nieprzejrzysty
- nieprzezroczystyhindering light to pass through
- nieprzejrzystyhindering light to pass through
Portuguese opaco
- opacohindering light to pass through
Romanian netransparent, opac
- netransparenthindering light to pass through
- opachindering light to pass through
- obtuzobtuse, stupid
Russian ма́товый, непрозра́чный
- ма́товый (mátovyj)hindering light to pass through
- непрозра́чный (neprozráčnyj)hindering light to pass through
Spanish opaco, opacar
- opacohindering light to pass through
- opacarto render opaque
Swedish ogenomskinlig
- ogenomskinlighindering light to pass through
Thai ทึบแสง
- ทึบแสง (tʉ́p-sɛ̌ɛng)hindering light to pass through
Turkish mat, opak
- mathindering light to pass through
- opakhindering light to pass through
- donukhindering light to pass through
Ukrainian непрозо́рий
- непрозо́рий (neprozóryj)hindering light to pass through
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with opaque
Cite this entry
opaque. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/opaque
“opaque.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/opaque. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “opaque,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/opaque.
Source: opaque on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.