diaphanous
- Light, delicate, and translucent; so thin as to be almost transparent.
- Figuratively, lacking substance or clarity; insubstantial.
In a sentence
- The bride wore a diaphanous veil that floated behind her in the afternoon breeze.
- A diaphanous layer of cloud diffused the sunlight into a soft, even glow over the landscape.
Usage note. Use 'diaphanous' specifically when you want to evoke delicacy alongside transparency—it implies fragility that 'translucent' alone does not.
Where it comes from
English diaphanous — “thin and translucent” · entered English 17th c.
From Medieval Latin 'diaphanus', derived from Greek 'diaphanes', meaning 'transparent' or 'showing through', composed of 'dia-' (through) and 'phainein' (to show or appear). The word entered English in the early 17th century, initially in optical and physical descriptions before extending to fabric and figurative uses.