shadier; shadiest
1
: producing or affording shade
2
: sheltered from the sun's rays
3
a
: of questionable merit : uncertain, unreliable
shadily adverb
shadiness noun

Examples of shady in a Sentence

Their backyard is nice and shady. I don't trust him. He seems like a pretty shady character.
Recent Examples on the Web The sunlight needs to also be the perfect amount, not too sunny or too shady. Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 11 Mar. 2024 A lot of people can relate to being a little shady and messy. Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 9 Mar. 2024 PACs, dark money groups, and shady, power-hungry billionaires are allowed to remain in the shadows under current Texas law. Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Feb. 2024 These areas around creeks are typically green, shady, and great places to weather a heatwave, but when a big, atmospheric river comes, especially a series of atmospheric rivers where rainfall saturates the ground, can cause these little creeks to swell into raging rivers. Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2024 These are two people who care for each other; one a superstar entertainer, the other a future Hall of Famer, and there's nothing rigged or staged or shady about it. Mike Freeman, USA TODAY, 5 Feb. 2024 In the film, Qualley plays Jamie, a woman who rents a car with her friend Marian (Viswanathan) for a Florida roadtrip, only to get wrapped up in a criminal situation involving shady characters played by Colman Domingo and Matt Damon. Kate Hogan, Peoplemag, 21 Feb. 2024 Indeed, on Monday, in shady spots, places exposed to the breeze from the north, a wintry chill seemed undeniable. Martin Weil, Washington Post, 20 Feb. 2024 Until recently, the shady area under the bridge had been used by federal Border Patrol agents as a staging ground for detaining and processing large numbers of migrants. J. David Goodman, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shady.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shady was in 1579

Dictionary Entries Near shady

Cite this Entry

“Shady.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shady. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

shady

adjective
shadier; shadiest
1
: casting a shadow : giving shade
2
: sheltered from the sun's rays
a shady grove
3
: not right or honest
a shady business deal
shadily adverb
shadiness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on shady

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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