shady

[shey-dee]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR shady ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, shad·i·er, shad·i·est.

abounding in shade; shaded: shady paths.

giving shade: a shady tree.

shadowy; indistinct; spectral.

of dubious character; rather disreputable: shady dealings.

Nearby words

Idioms

on the shady side of, Informal. beyond (the specified age); more than: on the shady side of 40.

Origin of shady

First recorded in 1570–80; shade + -y¹

Related forms

shad·i·ly, adverbshad·i·ness, nounun·shad·i·ly, adverbun·shad·i·ness, noun

un·shad·y, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for shady

The relationships, and motivations of their chief participants, are as tangled and shady as you expect of the super-rich.
The Real-Life ‘Downton’ Millionairesses Who Changed Britain|Tim Teeman|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Allison and Cole have lost a child, his family is shady, and his mother domineering.
How Will They End ‘The Affair’? Showtime’s Adultery Drama Defies Predictability|Tim Teeman|December 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Dr. Edwards warns that Dawn is not acting out of the kindness of her heart—but then again, Dr. Edwards is shady as hell, too.
The Walking Dead’s ‘Crossed’: The Stage Is Now Set for a Bloody, Deadly Midseason Finale|Melissa Leon|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The old culture of the Party of Regions—its lack of transparency, the graft and the shady deal making—has returned.
East Ukraine: Back in the USSR|Jamie Dettmer|November 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Other shady practices include non-halal meat being marketed as halal.
Inside The Growing Organic Halal Movement|Sharon Adarlo|September 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Rosemary will grow from cuttings planted under glass in a shady spot.
Gardening for the Million|Alfred Pink
The mean of two on the shady side of the creek gave 97 4/10 degrees.
Successful Exploration Through the Interior of Australia|William John Wills
There were water-lilies in shady back-waters, and beautiful gardens sloping down to the water.
Harding's luck|E. [Edith] Nesbit
Flower gardens and kitchen gardens stretched away into the magnificence of orange trees, shady avenues and fruitful plants.
Historic Papers on the Causes of the Civil War|Mrs. Eugenia Dunlap Potts
It clothed itself in motley flesh, and passed through green meadows and shady forests.
The Catholic World, Vol. X, October 1869|Various

British Dictionary definitions for shady

shady

adjective shadier or shadiest

full of shade; shaded

affording or casting a shade

dim, quiet, or concealed

informal dubious or questionable as to honesty or legality

Derived Formsshadily, adverbshadiness, noun

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

Word Origin and History for shady

shady

adj.

"affording shade," 1570s; "protected by shade," 1590s; from shade (n.) + -y (2). Meaning "disreputable" (1862) probably is from earlier university slang sense of "of questionable merit, unreliable" (1848). Related: Shadily; shadiness. Old English had sceadlic "shady, 'shadely.'"