opalescent
Say it: oh-puh-LES-uhnt /ˌəʊpəˈlɛsənt/ · adjective
What “opalescent” means
Milky-looking, with soft colours that shimmer and change.
More precisely: Showing a soft, milky play of colours, like an opal.
Example: “The opalescent tiles in the hotel bathroom shifted from pink to blue.”
When to use it
Use it for surfaces showing a soft, milky shimmer of changing colours, in descriptive or artistic language.
Memory trick
Think of an opal: its milky surface holds shifting flashes of soft colour.
Similar words
pearly, iridescent, nacreous
Quick check
A glass bowl looks milky white, but soft pink and blue shimmer across it as you move. It is…
transparent or opalescent?
Show the answer
opalescent
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