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
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 home sideline was initially planned to be on the east side of the field before then-coach Jim Harbaugh’s staff decided to move it to the more shady side before the first season.
—
Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 13 June 2026
The trick to rooting coleus is to keep the cuttings moist and surrounded by clear plastic in a shady area.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 June 2026
Anything — anything — that looks shady or casts doubt on the board’s credibility is a problem.
—Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 13 June 2026
The investigation soon brings them into a twisted conspiracy theory playing out under the noses of the Planet Clitoris’ shady government.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for shady
Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 13 June 2026
The trick to rooting coleus is to keep the cuttings moist and surrounded by clear plastic in a shady area.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 June 2026
Anything — anything — that looks shady or casts doubt on the board’s credibility is a problem.
—Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 13 June 2026
The investigation soon brings them into a twisted conspiracy theory playing out under the noses of the Planet Clitoris’ shady government.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for shady
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shady
Adjective
-
For a safer outdoor work environment, follow the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)'s guidance by scheduling regular rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned places.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
18 June 2026
-
The rugged terrain of the Appalachian Mountains creates cool, wet forests, shaded hollows, caves, ponds and streams.—
Torben Rick,
The Conversation,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
The suit alleges the group, known widely as WPATH, made deceptive claims about gender-affirming care for minors and that its members profited off the claims.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 June 2026
-
Grand Canyon’s rim-to-river routes can be deceptive because the steepest physical test comes on the way out, after hikers have descended into hotter terrain, experts say.—
Jessica Mekles,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
Whether this claim is credible is questionable, as the Islamic Republic’s media often dissimilates.—
Ariel Cohen,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
The west Broward city already is the focus of scrutiny by the Broward Office of Inspector General, and the Sun Sentinel has reported extensively for years on the city’s questionable financial decisions on its news and opinion pages.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
It’s been a big offseason for the dynamic receiver, a shifty route runner who’s not the biggest guy, at 6-foot and165 pounds, but his ball skills are elite.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 June 2026
-
The speedy Alec Pierce, who is currently sidelined due to ankle surgery, and shifty Downs will slide into Indy’s top two spots, leaving Dulin to compete with veterans Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Laquon Treadwell, as well as rookie seventh-round pick Deion Burks, for the third starting job.—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
The growing ties between Washington and Caracas were on display this week when the US and Venezuela carried out a joint operation targeting Tren de Aragua, the notorious Venezuelan gang designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the US government.—
Alfredo Meza,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
-
Many fans remember a notorious Dave Matthews Band concert in 2001 and assume noise concerns or curfews drove major shows away from Folsom.—
Jonathan Cohen,
SPIN,
13 June 2026
Adjective
-
Even with its less tense game style, the premise of D-topia revolves around a shadowy society run by AI that is working to ensure happiness for the greatest number of people.—
Theara Coleman,
TheWeek,
16 June 2026
-
Moscow regularly recruits young men of various nationalities — the Starmer arsonists were Ukrainian-born — as proxies in its shadowy hybrid warfare campaigns, Reuters reported.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
The guardian approved fraudulent time sheets, and Davis paid the guardian kickbacks, the release says.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
18 June 2026
-
And in late 2025, Grady took on Meta (formerly called Facebook), including its affiliates Instagram and Whatsapp, for allowing fraudulent Chinese investment scams on its platforms.—
Shirsho Dasgupta,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
This reader hopes that will be a rebuttal to all the dubious America 250 content flooding orgs beholden to the neutered NEA.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2026
-
This claim was dubious; the President has unsuccessfully sought a billion dollars in government funding.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shady.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shady. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
