1
as in shaded
protected from the sun's rays
a lovely shady spot in the park that was pleasantly cool
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deceptive
given to or marked by cheating and deception
a shady business deal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in questionable
giving good reason for being doubted, questioned, or challenged
cited some shady statistics to back up his argument
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in shifty
given to acting in secret and to concealing one's intentions
shady characters hanging out in the park after nightfall
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in notorious
not respectable
a courtesan who lived on the shady fringe of society
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shady
Maybe not something drastic like a world war, slavery or the Holocaust, but there’s always shady s–t going on.
—
Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2025
Meursault also starts hanging out with his shady and brutish French neighbor, Raymond (Pierre Lottin), whose abusive relationship with an Algerian girl (Hajar Bouzaouit) eventually leads to the murder.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2025
In sales, trust is currency, and nothing burns trust faster than sounding unoriginal, lazy or shady.
—Don Markland, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Entertainment Weekly has your exclusive first look at Weeds alum Justin Kirk's return as shady, opportunistic Talamasca agent Raglan James.
—EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shady
Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2025
Meursault also starts hanging out with his shady and brutish French neighbor, Raymond (Pierre Lottin), whose abusive relationship with an Algerian girl (Hajar Bouzaouit) eventually leads to the murder.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2025
In sales, trust is currency, and nothing burns trust faster than sounding unoriginal, lazy or shady.
—Don Markland, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Entertainment Weekly has your exclusive first look at Weeds alum Justin Kirk's return as shady, opportunistic Talamasca agent Raglan James.
—EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shady
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shady
Adjective
-
While the game retains the signature cel-shaded, colorful art style, the developers at Gearbox have promised a less annoyingly comedic tone.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Along with the rides, festivalgoers have access to select concessions, shopping, bathrooms and shaded areas inside the gates at Kentucky Kingdom.—
Kirby Adams,
Louisville Courier Journal,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, a group of states led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton separately sued Google for anticompetitive and deceptive practices in its ad business.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Katie’s denial was once again found to be deceptive.—
Liza Esquibias,
PEOPLE,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Of all the questionable advice pinging around social media platforms, this one really stinks—literally.—
Ashleigh N. DeLuca,
Parents,
16 Sep. 2025
-
The Chargers said initially that Mack was questionable to return due to an elbow injury, but was downgraded to out after he was seen on the sideline with his pads off and his arm in a sling.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The backcourt duo of Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman, also known as the StudBudz, are shifty, tough shot-making guards who can get hot in a hurry.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
13 Sep. 2025
-
By halftime, the shifty Jordan – the Trojans’ starter – had carried it five times for 42 yards and a score.—
Mirjam Swanson,
Oc Register,
31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The most notorious of these events is the shooting of Trump during a Pennsylvania campaign rally last year.—
Jesse Bedayn,
Fortune,
11 Sep. 2025
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One of the most popular, and notorious, alprazolam—more commonly known as Xanax—has a half-life of only twelve hours.—
P.E. Moskowitz
September 11,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The Philippines has also accused China’s shadowy maritime militia of destroying coral reefs in the South China Sea.—
Nectar Gan,
CNN Money,
11 Sep. 2025
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During the May interview, Harry made all sorts of incendiary claims, alleging mistreatment by his father and supposed shadowy figures in the royal establishment.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Businesses/nominees cannot obtain votes by any fraudulent or inappropriate means.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
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After a long process of validating legitimate claims and tossing out the ones that were fraudulent or duplicative, Angeion, the company in charge of distributing the payments, has finished its calculations determining how much each individual will get as payments go out starting this month.—
Alix Martichoux,
The Hill,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Even the people writing software are dubious.—
Gene Marks,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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This trend pushes teens to skip showers or use dubious products in hopes of attracting romantic attention.—
Ashleigh N. DeLuca,
Parents,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shady.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shady. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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