shady

adjective

ˈshā-dē How to pronounce shady (audio)
Definition of shadynext
1
as in shaded
protected from the sun's rays a lovely shady spot in the park that was pleasantly cool

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2
as in deceptive
given to or marked by cheating and deception a shady business deal

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3
as in questionable
giving good reason for being doubted, questioned, or challenged cited some shady statistics to back up his argument

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4
as in shifty
given to acting in secret and to concealing one's intentions shady characters hanging out in the park after nightfall

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in notorious
not respectable a courtesan who lived on the shady fringe of society

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of shady The series follows James (Jimmi Simpson), an ex-firefighter who teams up with a shady magician named Paul (Damon Herriman) to steal money from Paul’s father, a manipulative pastor played by Ben Kingsley. — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Aug. 2026 There are plenty of shady spots to set up and enjoy a true natural entertainment spot. — Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 2 Aug. 2026 Wait until fall to sod shady areas to prevent decline due to excessive moisture. — Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Aug. 2026 His name was carved on the same gravestone as Leslie’s, on a shady plot near the sea, but his ashes were scattered somewhere far from her bones. — Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for shady
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shady
  1. shaded
  2. deceptive
  3. questionable
  4. shifty
  5. notorious
  6. shadowy
  7. fraudulent
  8. dubious
Adjective
  • Lichens are normally found on older shaded leaves that drop from the trees during spring.
    — Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Mowing with the mower at its highest setting keeps the turf canopy full and shaded.
    — Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of shaded
Adjective
  • The company alleges trademark infringement, unfair competition and deceptive trade practices.
    — Jason St. Angelo, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026
  • And, given his high release point, deceptive delivery and deep repertoire, where batters can’t often make good contact.
    — Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of deceptive
Adjective
  • Stokes was off the injury report as of Monday, and Salaün was listed as questionable but looked to be a full participant in practice on Monday morning.
    — Christian Babcock, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Forcing fans to cover XX-XY shirts wasn't merely a questionable judgment call.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of questionable
Adjective
  • No actress this century has been able to match Hathaway's slinky, shifty take on small-time thief Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman.
    — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Instead, the Hall of Fame running back who inspired a generation of running backs with his sensational, elusive, shifty style was walking up and down the sideline handing out refreshments to his teammates.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of shifty
Adjective
  • While renowned for its red brick buildings and lush green lawns, UCLA’s campus is also notorious for its steep hills.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • In the now-notorious moment, Rock, 61, made a joke directed at Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s buzzed haircut.
    — Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of notorious
Adjective
  • No other spacecraft has ever descended into the moon’s shadowy south polar craters, although NASA did crash a rocket into one in 2009 and watched a resultant plume of water vapor burst out.
    — Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The hit series created by Taylor Sheridan focuses on the shadowy world of black operations in the CIA and the military.
    — David Hookstead OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of shadowy
Adjective
  • Republicans say the inquiry is intended to determine whether foreign money or fraudulent donations have entered federal campaigns and whether ActBlue accurately described its safeguards to Congress.
    — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 20 Aug. 2026
  • State prosecutors allege Davis submitted at least six fraudulent COVID Emergency Rental Assistance applications from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
    — Joseph Buczek, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of fraudulent
Adjective
  • SpaceX now has the dubious honor of being the first company to deface the moon, after a piece of one of its rockets crashed into Earth’s only natural satellite earlier this month.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 19 Aug. 2026
  • HoverAir, an imprint of China's Zero Zero Robotics, has the dubious honor of being the first victim of the FCC's foreign drone ban.
    — Jim Fisher, PC Magazine, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of dubious

Browse Nearby Words

shadowy
shady
shaft
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Cite this Entry

“Shady.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shady. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of shady for Spanish Speakers

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