crystal-clear
/ˌkrɪstl ˈklɪə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌkrɪstl ˈklɪr/ (ame, ipa)
crystal-clear — adjective
1. describes water, glass, air, or another substance that is so pure and free of cl
describes water, glass, air, or another substance that is so pure and free of cloudiness, dirt, or haze that you can see through it with no effort.
The lake water was so crystal-clear that Naoko could see fish near the bottom.
crystal-clear as a subject complement
Zola wiped the windows until they were crystal-clear and bright.
crystal-clear after a linking verb
Dario poured a glass of crystal-clear spring water from the jug.
The mountain air was crystal-clear, and Hamza saw the town below in sharp detail.
Arjun held the diamond to the light; it was crystal clear, with no visible flaws.
- transparent
more technical; can describe any material that light passes through
- limpid
formal and literary; almost exclusively for water
- translucent
means light passes through but objects on the other side are not sharply visible; not a true synonym
文法句型
crystal-clear + noun
verb + crystal-clear
be crystal clear (un-hyphenated)
用法筆記
Commonly describes natural bodies of water, glass, lenses, gemstones, and the sky. The un-hyphenated form 'crystal clear' (common in British English) carries a slightly stronger comparison to the mineral crystal and is used for emphatic effect. Often appears after linking verbs such as 'was', 'looked', 'became'.
常見錯誤
2. describes a statement, explanation, instruction, or reason that is presented in
describes a statement, explanation, instruction, or reason that is presented in such a direct and simple way that no one could fail to understand or be confused by it.
The teacher made it crystal-clear that homework must be handed in by Friday.
make it crystal-clear that + clause
Caleb's instructions for the bookshelf were crystal-clear, so Iker finished it quickly.
crystal-clear as a subject complement with instructions
The doctor gave Andrés a crystal-clear explanation of the treatment plan.
It was crystal-clear that the company needed a new strategy.
It was crystal clear to the jury that the evidence proved the defendant was not at the scene.
- obvious
more general; can refer to things that are clear even without explanation
- unambiguous
emphasises that something has only one possible meaning
- manifest
formal and literary; means clearly apparent to the mind
文法句型
crystal-clear + noun
make something crystal-clear
be crystal-clear that...
make it crystal clear that... (idiom pattern)
用法筆記
Often used with an introductory 'it' as in 'it is crystal-clear that…'. The un-hyphenated idiom form 'crystal clear' (without hyphen) is equally common and slightly more emphatic, especially in the patterns 'make something crystal clear' and 'it is crystal clear that…'. Frequently used in legal, instructional, and policy contexts where the speaker wants to leave no room for doubt. The speaker or writer typically has strong confidence in the clarity of the information.