shade

[ sheyd ]

/ ʃeɪd /

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See synonyms for: shade / shaded / shades / shading on Thesaurus.com

noun

the comparative darkness caused by the interception or screening of rays of light from an object, place, or area.

a place or an area of comparative darkness, as one sheltered from the sun.

window shade.

a lampshade.

shades,

darkness gathering at the close of day: Shades of night are falling.
Informal. sunglasses.
a reminder of something: shades of the Inquisition.

Usually shades. a secluded or obscure place: He was living in the shades.

comparative obscurity.

a specter or ghost.

Greek and Roman Religion. one of the spirits of the dead inhabiting Hades.

a shadow.

the degree of darkness of a color, determined by the quantity of black or by the lack of illumination.

comparative darkness, as the effect of shadow or dark and light, in pictorial representation; the dark part, or a dark part, of a picture or drawing.

a slight variation or degree: a shade of difference.

a little bit; touch, especially of something that may change the color of or lighten or darken something else: coffee with a shade of cream.

anything used for protection against excessive light, heat, etc.

(in architectural shades and shadows) a shadow upon those parts of a solid that are tangent to or turned away from the parallel rays from the theoretical light source.Compare shadow (def. 11).

the shades, Hades, as the abode of the spirits of the dead.

verb (used with object), shad·ed, shad·ing.

to produce shade in or on.

to obscure, dim, or darken.

to screen or hide from view.

to protect (something) from light, heat, etc., by or as by a screen: to shade the eyes from a bright light.

to cover or screen (a candle, light, etc.): to shade a light to protect the eyes.

Fine Arts.

to introduce degrees of darkness into (a drawing or painting) in order to render light and shadow or give the effect of color.
to render the values of light and dark in (a drawn figure, object, etc.), especially in order to create the illusion of three-dimensionality.

to change by imperceptible degrees into something else.

to reduce (the price) by way of a concession.

Slang. to insult, criticize, or disrespect (a person or thing) in an indirect, artful manner: He got into a fight with someone who shaded his mom.

verb (used without object), shad·ed, shad·ing.

to pass or change by slight graduations, as one color, quality, or thing into another.

Verb Phrases

shade up, Agriculture. to take shelter (as livestock) from the sun.

SYNONYMS FOR shade

1 obscurity, gloom, dusk.

8 apparition, phantom, spirit.

13 bit.

14 trace, hint, suggestion.

15 veil, screen.

19 cloud, blur, obfuscate.

20 conceal, shelter.

See synonyms for shade on Thesaurus.com

ANTONYMS FOR shade

1 light, glare.

See antonyms for shade on Thesaurus.com

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON “ITS” VS. “IT’S”!

Apostrophes can be tricky; prove you know the difference between it’s and its in this crafty quiz!

Question 1 of 12

On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.

it's

its

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms for shade

cast / put someone in / into the shade, to make another person's efforts seem insignificant by comparison; surpass: Her playing puts mine in the shade.

throw shade, Slang. to insult, criticize, or disrespect a person or thing in an indirect, artful manner:He threw some shade at his former boss.

Origin of shade

before 900; 1960–65 for def. 29; (noun) Middle English s(c)hade,Old English sceadu (see shadow); cognate with German Schatten,Gothic skadus,Greek skótos; (v.) Middle English schaden, derivative of the noun

synonym study for shade

1. Shade, shadow imply partial darkness or something less bright than the surroundings. Shade indicates the lesser brightness and heat of an area where the direct rays of light do not fall: the shade of a tree. It differs from shadow in that it implies no particular form or definite limit, whereas shadow often refers to the form or outline of the object that intercepts the light: the shadow of a dog. 15. See curtain.

regional variation note for shade

3. See window shade.

OTHER WORDS FROM shade

shadeless, adjectiveshade·less·ness, nounin·ter·shade, verb (used with object), in·ter·shad·ed, in·ter·shad·ing.sem·i·shade, noun

un·shade, verb (used with object), un·shad·ed, un·shad·ing.

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH shade

color, hue, shade , tint

Words nearby shade

Shadbolt, shadbush, shadchan, Shaddai, shaddock, shade, shade cloth, shaded, shade deck, shade-grown, shades

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

VOCAB BUILDER

What is a basic definition of shade?

Shade is darkness created from something blocking light or a lighter or darker variation of a color. Shade also means to block light. The word shade has several other senses as a verb and a noun.

When something creates a shadow by blocking light, we say that it provides shade or causes shade. Usually, shade specifically refers to darkness caused by blocking sunlight, but it can result from light of any kind being blocked. If something gives shade or has a lot of shade, we say that it is shady.

Real-life examples: Trees, umbrellas, and awnings are examples of things that often provide shade.
Used in a sentence: I hid from the hot sun under the shade of the oak tree.

Shade also refers to a lighter or darker variation of color. You might like a dark blue, while your friend prefers a lighter shade of blue. The darker shade a color is, the more black it has in it. In contrast, a tint of a color is created when more white is added to it.

Used in a sentence: I prefer the darker shade of green leaves become in the summer.

Shade also means to provide shadow or to shield something from light.

Used in a sentence: I shaded my eyes from the bright lights.

The slang phrase to throw shade at someone means to insult or criticize them in an artful but indirect way.

Used in a sentence: Isabella was so good at throwing shade that her targets often thought she was complimenting them.

Where does shade come from?

The first records of shade come from before the 900s. It ultimately comes from the Old English sceadu, meaning “shadow.”

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to shade?

shady (adjective)
shadeless (adjective)
shadelessness (noun)
intershade (verb)
semishade (noun)
unshade (verb)

What are some synonyms for shade?

What are some words that share a root or word element with shade?

What are some words that often get used in discussing shade?

What are some words shade may be commonly confused with?

hue
tint

How is shade used in real life?

Shade is a common word that most often means shadow or darkness caused by something blocking light.

OK, so it's 9 o'clock and 90 degrees. Where are all those trees they took out at Oakmont? I need some shade!

— Ron Sirak (@ronsirak) July 8, 2010

With every degree the weather rises, so does my eagerness to order a hefty case of beers and hide in the shade.

— Dave Jewitt (@IrregularDave) August 6, 2020

Asking for shade in Arizona winters. Man I love this place. #Arizona #sunnyday

— Uncle Dubbies (@P_Dubbel) January 21, 2021

Try using shade!

Which of the following words is most likely to be used to describe shade?

A. silence
B. darkness
C. tasteless
D. odorless

Example sentences from the Web for shade

The poor representation of people of color from around the world, and their range of facial features and skin shades, creates what researchers have called a “demographic bias” built into the technology.
The Bias in the Machine - Issue 89: The Dark Side|Sidney Perkowitz|August 19, 2020|Nautilus
That means the upper tiers of Wrigley are closer to the playing surface than those of parks that opened from 1992 to 2017, which have an average lower-deck shade of 26 percent.
MLB’s Newest Ballpark Is A Shift Away From Retro-Era Stadiums|Travis Sawchik|July 16, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
In the videos the dogs lie around, keeping cool in the shade.
How to Make Meetings Less Terrible (Ep. 389 Rebroadcast)|Stephen J. Dubner|May 28, 2020|Freakonomics
Another element to note was a slight front projection of the skull that not only provided the user with some shade but also provided practical protection from downward angled sword blows aimed at the head.
Know Your Ancient Greek Helmets: From Attic to Phrygian|Dattatreya Mandal|May 19, 2020|Realm of History

Trees provide homes for animals and shade for people on hot days.
Let’s learn about trees|Sarah Zielinski|April 22, 2020|Science News For Students
Petty, shade, and thirst are my favorite human “virtues” and the trifecta of any good series of “stories.”
‘Empire’ Review: Hip-Hop Musical Chairs with an Insane Soap Opera Twist|Judnick Mayard|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It took me 1,015 strokes to see this shade of green in a world of orange, and my jaw nearly dropped.
Lost For Thousands of Strokes: 'Desert Golfing' Is 'Angry Birds' as Modern Art|Alec Kubas-Meyer|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But publicly throwing shade at Louis Vuitton wasn't Kanye's first fashion faux pas.
Kanye West and Kim Kardashian’s Balmain Campaign: High Fashion Meets Low Culture|Amy Zimmerman|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Later schools empty out children, who race over to play games in the shade.
The Life and Hard Times Of The Family A Cuban Defector Left Behind|Brin-Jonathan Butler|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the summer and in hotter regions, they provide shade for parked cars, preventing them from getting too hot.
Paved Paradise|The Daily Beast|September 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Seneschal leaned back, and was concerned to feel his pulses throbbing a shade too quickly.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
The seeds of some species are of a dark brown while others are of a lighter shade.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
Lady Maude sat alone in her room; the white robes upon her, the orthodox veil, meant to shade her fair face thrown back from it.
Elster's Folly|Mrs. Henry Wood
Nothing will be easier then to throw the Poles into the shade of the picture, or to occupy the foreground with a brilliant review.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
Grandfather Mole demanded of Mr. Meadow Mouse, almost as soon as he had stepped just outside the shade of the toadstool.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey

British Dictionary definitions for shade

shade

/ (ʃeɪd) /

noun

relative darkness produced by the blocking out of light

a place made relatively darker or cooler than other areas by the blocking of light, esp sunlight

a position of relative obscurity

something used to provide a shield or protection from a direct source of light, such as a lampshade

a darker area indicated in a painting, drawing, etc, by shading

a colour that varies slightly from a standard colour due to a difference in hue, saturation, or luminositya darker shade of green

a slight amounta shade of difference

literary a ghost

an archaic word for shadow

put in the shade to appear better than (another); surpass

verb (mainly tr)

to screen or protect from heat, light, view, etc

to make darker or dimmer

to represent (a darker area) in (a painting, drawing, etc), by means of hatching, using a darker colour, etc

(also intr) to change or cause to change slightly

to lower (a price) slightly

Derived forms of shade

shadeless, adjective

Word Origin for shade

Old English sceadu; related to Gothic skadus, Old High German skato, Old Irish scāth shadow, Greek skotos darkness, Swedish skäddä fog

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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shade

noun

verb (used with object), shad·ed, shad·ing.