Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

shading

American  
[shey-ding] / ˈʃeɪ dɪŋ /

noun

  1. a slight variation or difference of color, character, etc.

  2. the act of a person or thing that shades.

  3. the representation of the different values of color or light and dark in a painting or drawing.

shading British  
/ ˈʃeɪdɪŋ /

noun

  1. the graded areas of tone, lines, dots, etc, indicating light and dark in a painting or drawing

"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

Etymology

Origin of shading

First recorded in 1605–15; shade + -ing 1

Vocabulary lists containing shading

Art History

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

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.

Plants with steeper, more upright leaves were able to rise above neighboring plants during early growth stages, capturing more sunlight while shading out competitors below.

From Science Daily • Apr. 8, 2026

But when the storytelling gets too stately, her cast brings the necessary shading.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 9, 2026

The painter’s technical brilliance is evident in the soft shading of features and the depiction of multiple layers of transparent fabric.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 12, 2025

Still, the “Task” ensemble’s expansive size means some roles receive more extensive narrative shading than others.

From Salon • Sep. 7, 2025

Even though the day was overcast, I had one of Mother’s old parasols shading both me and the Plant, which was snugly ensconced in a small clay flowerpot.

From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly

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.