adjective
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full of shade; shaded
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affording or casting a shade
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dim, quiet, or concealed
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informal dubious or questionable as to honesty or legality
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of shady
Explanation
Any place that's protected from the glare and heat of the sun is shady, as in a "shady nook." But as its darkened nature implies, shady has the equally popular meaning of "suspicious, dangerous, or deceitful." A "shady character" is up to no good. The metaphorical meaning of shady has long been embraced by slang. Since at least the 1950's, the phrase "got it made in the shade" means having a great and easy life or job (picture eastern sultans being shaded by servants holding giant leaves). The rap sultan Eminem calls his evil alter-ego "Slim Shady," conjuring up a devilish suggestion of the Prince of Darkness himself — someone who definitely lives in a shady neighborhood.
Vocabulary lists containing shady
"To an Athlete Dying Young" by A. E. Housman
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Way Off: Synonyms for "Wrong"
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Lights Out: Synonyms for "Dark"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Shady Bets: Online sleuthing helped catch the “Google insider” on Polymarket after amateur observers spotted suspicious trades on the crypto-based betting platform.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026
US rapper Eminem has taken legal action against an Australian beachwear company called Swim Shady, saying its name is too similar to his trademarked rap pseudonym Slim Shady.
From BBC • Nov. 18, 2025
Now opposing coaches need to compare submitted rosters to real rosters whenever they play the University of Shady Coaches.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 15, 2025
Lobna's lawyer, Shady Abdellatif Abdel Rahman, specialises in family law.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2025
Lester Burton sat in the front row, smiling and confident, while Shady and Jinx sat across the aisle.
From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
