ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary BuilderWordsDdiaphanous
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diaphanous
Meaning: light, delicate, and almost transparent
diaphanous in a sentence
How diaphanous is used in real sentences:
A diaphanous curtain softened the sunlight.
Mist hung over the pond like a diaphanous veil.
“When an epidemic model predicts a smooth decline in infections, its clean curve can look as diaphanous as tracing paper, revealing every assumed contact beneath it.”
— from the passage When the Curve Breaks
“A diaphanous layer of sensitized gelatin, spread across a glass plate, had to dry without dust, ripples, or impatient fingerprints.”
— from the passage The Final Impression
“At annual ceremonies, members processed beneath banners and wore garments of diaphanous silk, fabric so light that it appeared nearly transparent.”
— from the passage Beyond the Gates
Synonyms for diaphanous
Other words for diaphanous — sheer, translucent and gauzy — carry the same meaning.
- sheer
- translucent
- gauzy
Antonyms of diaphanous
Words that mean the opposite of diaphanous:
- opaque
- heavy
- thick
Where it comes from
From Greek diaphanes, meaning 'showing through.'
Word parts
- dia — through, across
diaphanous: dia- (through) + phan (show) + -ous (having the quality of)
Memory hook
DIAPHANOUS has 'phan,' related to showing: light passes through diaphanous fabric.
Practice diaphanous in the app