opaque

Intermediatezipf 3.37

Pronunciation

/oʊˈpeɪk/(oh-PAYK)

Part of speech

adjectiveneutral

Chinese

不透明的；难以理解的

Definition

Not able to be seen through; not transparent; difficult to understand or explain.

Word family

  • opacity/oʊˈpæsɪti/(n)不透明；晦涩

Collocations

  • opaque glass
  • opaque language
  • opaque process
  • opaque regulations
  • deliberately opaque

Examples

  1. 1.The windows were made of opaque glass to provide privacy. (not transparent)
  2. 2.The company's financial reporting was deliberately opaque, making it impossible for investors to understand the true picture. (unclear)

Synonyms

  • unclear/ʌnˈklɪər/— hard to understand — simpler
  • obscure/əbˈskjʊər/— not clear or well known
  • impenetrable/ɪmˈpɛnɪtrəbl/— impossible to understand — stronger

Etymology

from Latin "opacus" (shaded, dark) — blocking light, hence blocking understanding