sunshade
Americannoun
-
sunshades
plural
noun
Usage
What does sunshade mean? Sunshade is a general term for something that’s intended to block sunshine and provide shade—something that shades you from the sun. Things that could be called a sunshade include an awning (like in a stadium or on the back of your house), a parasol (one of those umbrellas used for shade), and that thing you put on the inside of your car’s windshield so the car doesn’t so get so hot in the sun. Although the word shades is a slang term for sunglasses, the word sunshade does not typically refer to sunglasses. Example: I don’t want to get a sunburn while sitting on the deck, so I’m going to install some kind of sunshade.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of sunshade
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.
See Examples For:
They’ve raised concerns about a sunshade placed over the dock, a wooden walkway to connect the restaurant to handicap parking spots, and a wedding that was held on site.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
"It's convenient because the motorway covers the back half of the garden so I've a dry area and it acts as my sunshade, which has been handy in recent weeks."
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
Beneath a tarp sunshade, Apiñas began cooking eggs and toasting bread while the children used water from a bucket to wash their face and brush their teeth.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 21, 2024
Szapudi, the author of the new sunshade study, acknowledges that geoengineering isn’t a replacement for cutting emissions.
From Scientific American ● Aug. 1, 2023
Mr. Singh held his hand over his brow to make a sunshade and looked into the distance.
From "The View From Saturday" by E.L. Konigsburg
The firm designed a sandy-hued building with metal downspouts and horizontal sunshades made of weathered steel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
When staffers realized many children didn’t get outside playtime at home, they installed a rubber playground and colorful sunshades.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 3, 2023
Naidorf notes the building’s porcelain enamel sunshades with carefully spaced gaps to play with light and shadow.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2023
But a wagon can restore that simplicity: It’s a great way to lug toys, sunshades and chairs over sandy hillocks.
From New York Times ● Jul. 1, 2023
Samir had an entire satchel full of perfumes for himself, some beard wax in an ivory box, his teeth-whitening cream, his bronze sunshades, and more combs than the Queen of Persia.
From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri
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.
