diaphanous
4
9.6
- adjective
- /daɪˈæfənəs/
:
diáfano
- There are hats made from diaphanous, pale pink crinoline, adorned with cloth flowers, and a man's plain black bowler.
- a diaphanous gown
- a diaphanous dress
- a diaphanous veil
Examples
-
On a foggy morning, the diaphanous mist enveloped the landscape, creating a mystical atmosphere that softened the outlines of the trees.
-
Lana, now wearing the diaphanous gown, pulls him inside.
Fiction book (1993) -
I am wearing something red, diaphanous, with all my diamonds.
Fiction book (1996) -
Instantly, she was in his examining room, tantalizingly dressed in a diaphanous gown.
Fiction book (1998) -
The woman dances around him, letting her diaphanous veil trail sinuously around his body.
Fiction book (1994) -
A soft breeze sprang up, carrying a smell like mimosa and creating waves in the diaphanous curtains that were behind them.
Fiction book (1990) -
The maidens wore diaphanous pleated tunics, some long, some quite short, in a variety of pastels.
Fiction book (1995) -
A beautiful girl in a sheer diaphanous gown dances far out on a narrow girder, waving a scarf at the moon.
Fiction book (1996) -
Helene Wiley, a late middle-aged woman draped in diaphanous scarves, opens the door.
Fiction book (1991) -
The bride wore a stunning diaphanous dress that elegantly flowed with every movement, allowing the sunlight to shine through.
Synonyms
14
3.9
Thin material that lets you see what is behind it
12
4.0
Very thin and almost see-through, like light fabric
7
6.7
Very thin and light, often letting light pass through like a curtain
4
5.8
A thin, light layer that is almost see-through
1
8.6
Very light and delicate like a thin cloth or spider web
A very thin, light cloth that is almost see-through
Very thin and light, like a fine spider web
Thin and light like tissue paper
Antonyms
How Sheer
Surface Forms
Morphology
diaphanous = dia + phan + ous
Although analyzable into Greek combining forms (dia- + phan- + -ous), these are not productive or familiar English base words for a B1 learner, so the meaning cannot be reliably inferred from the parts.
Etymology
The word diaphanous comes from two parts: dia- meaning 'through' and phan meaning 'to show'. So it literally means 'shows through', which is why it describes very light, delicate cloth or material that lets light pass and looks almost transparent.