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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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
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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
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Recent Examples of shady
While not full-sun plants, coral bells will quickly die in excessively shady conditions.
—
Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 12 Apr. 2025
The thriller is set in the shady world of ex-special forces, where outcasts Kelly Frost, Rachel Chan, and Inferno unite to stop a billionaire’s plot to destabilize Hong Kong.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 11 Apr. 2025
The project would also include shady areas for the service dogs prisoners help train for Guide Dogs of America.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 6 Apr. 2025
It’s implied that before going into construction, Levon had brought his military training into civilian life in some shady (though likely heroic) capacity or another — maybe even kidnap recovery.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shady
Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 12 Apr. 2025
The thriller is set in the shady world of ex-special forces, where outcasts Kelly Frost, Rachel Chan, and Inferno unite to stop a billionaire’s plot to destabilize Hong Kong.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 11 Apr. 2025
The project would also include shady areas for the service dogs prisoners help train for Guide Dogs of America.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 6 Apr. 2025
It’s implied that before going into construction, Levon had brought his military training into civilian life in some shady (though likely heroic) capacity or another — maybe even kidnap recovery.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shady
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shady
Adjective
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Battering ram with deceptive speed (4.51), but struggles catching the ball.—
Rob Reischel,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
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In addition to his first-term tariffs, Trump also filed a formal World Trade Organization case against China, alleging deceptive trade practices and intellectual property theft.—
David Faris,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Wiggins was listed as questionable on the injury report before being upgraded to available.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
10 Apr. 2025
-
But one thing’s for sure: if trouble runs on espresso martinis and questionable decisions, this crew has already paid the tab.—
Shelby Stewart,
Essence,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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That blandness has gone hand in hand with a shifty political opportunism, marked by half-hearted representational milestones—Ariel is Black!—
Justin Chang,
The New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2025
-
The shifty guard snaked his way into the lane and knocked down a floater over the outstretched arms of Florida’s 6-9 forward Thomas Haugh a few minutes later.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
30 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Durham has a notorious one called the ‘Canopener’ that is featured on a website and Youtube channel 11foot8.com by Jurgen Henn, who has captured 186 crashes since April of 2008.—
Madison Bloom,
Pitchfork,
9 Apr. 2025
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When over 200 immigrants, mostly Venezuelans, were deported to El Salvador's notorious CECOT prison on March 15, just as J.G.G. v Trump was being heard, tattoos were among the reasons some migrants were sent there, potentially in error.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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One frustrating element of Lamar’s production was difficulty seeing him in between shadowy lighting despite the Mission Control assembly of soundboards and video monitors at the back of the stadium floor.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
21 Apr. 2025
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The job, offered through a shadowy group, turned Mr. Bardadim into an unwitting foot soldier for Russia as part of a multipronged campaign of sabotage attacks on targets across Europe, Lithuanian investigators say.—
Tomas Dapkus,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Ask if there was any suspicious account activity, such as a login from a new device, before the fraudulent charges occurred.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
FOXNews.com,
10 Apr. 2025
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Barker and the business owner — who pleaded guilty in February on charges in a separate indictment — agreed to deduct the true cost of the supplies from the fraudulent invoices and split the rest between them, according to the indictment.—
Natalie Demaree,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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In his second term, the president has fewer people around him who try to keep dubious sources away.—
Michael D. Shear,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
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Doctors prescribe it to ease symptoms of testosterone deficiency — among them weight gain, muscle loss and depression — but dubious clinics also sell the therapy as a cure-all for a crisis of masculinity.—
The New York Times,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Editor’s tip: Niacinamide is a multitasker that blurs the look of dark spots, evens your skin tone, and balances your complexion.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
15 Apr. 2025
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And so by some sociologists, camp is thought to be this form of dark humor serving as a coping mechanism to historical marginalization.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
15 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shady.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shady. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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