Words / C2

oh-PAYK/əʊˈpeɪk/

Opaque means not letting light through, or hard to understand: opaque glass, an opaque clause. Unclear is everyday; obscure (already in the dictionary) is hard to grasp, a close twin. Transparent and pellucid (this batch) are the opposite flavour. Do not leave a methods sentence opaque and call it discretion.

Meaning

Not transparent; also hard to understand or see through.

Examples

• “An opaque methods clause is not a finding.”
• “Unclear is everyday. Obscure is hard to follow (already in the dictionary). Cloudy is the metaphor. Pellucid is crystal-clear (this batch). Frosted glass is the physical sense. A long appendix can still be exact. “In due course” with no owner is opaque. Name the n in plain type.”

Good to know

Not see-through; obscure. Everyday: unclear. Close: obscure (already in this dictionary). Opposite: pellucid (this batch). Discretion ≠ an empty cell.

Near in meaning

unclear

New