Jump to:

• see-through
  see-through

  adjective

  Also see-thru transparent.
• see through
  see through

  verb

  (tr) to help out in time of need or trouble

see-through

American  

[see-throo] / ˈsiˌθru /

adjective

1. Also see-thru transparent.

   a see-through blouse.

---

noun

1. a degree of or variation in transparency.

2. a see-through item of clothing.

3. look-through.

see through British  

verb

1. (tr) to help out in time of need or trouble

   I know you're short of money, but I'll see you through

2. (tr, adverb) to remain with until the end or completion

   let's see the job through

3. (intr, preposition) to perceive the true nature of

   I can see through your evasion

---

adjective

1. partly or wholly transparent or translucent, esp (of clothes) in a titillating way

   a see-through nightie

see through Idioms  

1. . Understand the true character or nature of someone or something, as in We saw through his superficial charm: he was obviously a liar . [c. 1400]

2. Also, see out . Remain with an undertaking to the end; also, provide steadfast support to. For example, I saw the reorganization through and then I left the company , or We'll see out the year in Florida and then decide if the move is permanent , or We'll see you through medical school but then you're on your own .

---

Etymology

Origin of see-through

First recorded in 1940–45; adj., noun use of verb phrase see through

Example Sentences

The following year, Ju Ae wore a partially see-through blouse - revealing her arms - to the completion ceremony for a residential area of the capital, Pyongyang.

From BBC • May 5, 2026

KeyBanc analyst Ashley Owens wrote in a Thursday noet that some Reddit reviews of a Valentine’s edition line of pants with a “scattered heart” pattern indicate that the fabric becomes see-through when bending and squatting.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 12, 2026

After the collection’s debut earlier this month, some customers took to social media, saying the leggings were see-through while the wearer was squatting or bending.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026

Gauzy tops are worn with sturdy, oversized pants; see-through skirts, with bulky blazers.

From Slate • Dec. 14, 2024

It has a striped mattress with a thin, nearly see-through cotton sheet thrown over it; an Army-green cotton blanket is folded under the single pillow at the head.

From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed

Related Words

• gauzy
• sheer
• translucent