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

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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 best way Ray can think of to do so is to tail her shady husband, Dom (Bobby Cannavale) — all the way into a sordid (but still vaguely family-friendly) web of deceit, murder, blackmail and gangland drama. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2026 There are all sorts of sides to Venus, a lot of shady characters complicating things, and in pure Bogie-Bacall fashion Ray gets to sort them all out while dealing with this colorful group. — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2026 Ponderosa pine and Douglas fir kept the mountainsides shady and cool. — Sarah Kaplan, Washington Post, 7 Oct. 2026 When the men’s shady deals land them all in danger, the women must learn to survive the jungle – and each other. — K.j. Yossman, Variety, 6 Oct. 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
  • Occupying a particularly picturesque and secluded stretch of headland, where Aleppo pines drape rocky coves and the cerulean Mediterranean waves lick the similarly shaded horizon, the resort is the hospitality group’s first foray into the Balearics.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The balloting was marred by violence and irregularities, including a deadly shooting, a bomb blast and pre-shaded ballots that force delayed voting in dozens of precincts.
    — Teresa Cerojano, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of shaded
Adjective
  • But several Theranos staffers and journalists say Holmes was frequently deceptive and would lie repeatedly, especially when confronted with facts.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
  • California and Hawaii, for example, are two states that have banned sharing deceptive AI content about candidates in the months around an election.
    — Jordi Calvet-Bademunt, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of deceptive
Adjective
  • Puka Nacua shined despite entering the game questionable with a calf injury and Kyren Williams and Blake Corum combined for nearly 200 rushing yards.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
  • He was listed as questionable to return as he was examined in the injury tent.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of questionable
Adjective
  • The shifty Flowers opened the scoring with a 48-yard catch-and-run.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
  • In the Week 2 overtime thriller against the Indianapolis Colts, Johnson’s shifty play alongside Walker gave Kansas City what could quietly be one of the league’s best one-two punches in the backfield.
    — Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of shifty
Adjective
  • Chicago has Back of the Yards, once adjacent to its notorious stockyards and not that far from Bubbly Creek, where methane and hydrogen sulfide gas once caused the South Fork of the Chicago River to make like a hot tub.
    — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Disqualified is being presented at the MIA Market in Rome today as a TV drama inspired by one of real-life events surrounding Finland’s most notorious sporting scandals.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of notorious
Adjective
  • The story follows a proud Scot and Laird of Castle Drummoch (Branagh) who defies a shadowy American billionaire (Peter Sarsgaard) hellbent on buying up the glens.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Cinematographer Armand Thirard’s subtle and shadowy lighting intensifies Diabolique’s haunting suspense and sense of claustrophobia, which later inspired Hitchcock’s Psycho.
    — Air Mail, Air Mail, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of shadowy
Adjective
  • Federal authorities said her husband and several other individuals stole millions of dollars from the casino by creating fraudulent credit vouchers.
    — Sergio Candido, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Malek also faces charges for allegedly submitting fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications in 2021.
    — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of fraudulent
Adjective
  • Populated almost entirely by impossibly wealthy characters reveling in penthouse splendor, the Astaire-Rogers movies argued with high style against the proposition that the material and social rewards of wealth were dubious.
    — David Hajdu, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026
  • If Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is to be believed, America will soon gain the dubious distinction of joining the only four countries on the globe that carry out executions in public.
    — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 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 28 Oct. 2026.

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