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
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.
When temperatures start to warm in spring, begin to harden off the plant by placing it in a shady spot during the daytime. Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 14 Dec. 2024 Ji Chang-wook, who plays a shady broker, is bloodied and battered from the beginning of the series to the end. Joan MacDonald, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024 Rosita’s solitude is interrupted when her gangster husband, Eddie, arrives on Trouble Island with an assortment of other criminals, bodyguards, a shady doctor, Rosita’s cousin and an actor who likes hanging out with the underworld. Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 10 Dec. 2024 The festivities then flowed onto the terrace, where a luncheon table elegantly stretched the length of the shady veranda and was adorned with bouquets of white sweet peas, mini calla lilies, and baby-blue scabiosa blossoms. Sasha Pinto, Vogue, 9 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for shady 

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 25 Dec. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!