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Synonyms

shady

American  
[shey-dee] / ˈʃeɪ di /

adjective

shadier, shadiest

  1. abounding in shade; shaded: shade.

    shady paths.

  2. giving shade.

    a shady tree.

  3. shadowy; indistinct; spectral.

  4. of dubious character; rather disreputable.

    shady dealings.

idioms

  1. on the shady side of, beyond (the specified age); more than.

    on the shady side of 40.
shady British  
/ ˈʃeɪdɪ /

adjective

  1. full of shade; shaded

  2. affording or casting a shade

  3. dim, quiet, or concealed

  4. informal dubious or questionable as to honesty or legality

"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

Other Word Forms

  • shadily adverb
  • shadiness noun
  • unshadily adverb
  • unshadiness noun
  • unshady adjective

Etymology

Origin of shady

First recorded in 1570–80; shade + -y 1

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.

A formerly shady brook, enclosed by trees, has been opened out to form a wetland area.

From BBC

They revealed that she had spent four days at Epstein's Palm Beach house in Florida while he was not there and that she was aware of his shady past.

From BBC

‘I’m not a coward,’ he said over his shoulder as they followed the river into a shady oak wood, and the threat of pursuit seemed to lessen.

From Literature

One could reasonably argue that it is better to be spied on by an ISP than by a potentially shady VPN company.

From Salon

I lead us over to a shady patch of grass and extend my right leg to stretch my calf.

From Literature

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.