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.
Months of fighting the rape claims in federal court in NYC and failing to get the matter tossed out saw a lot of bitter finger pointing with claims of bribery, shady probes and lying from all sides, to varying degrees. Dominic Patten, Deadline, 3 Mar. 2025 And not in a shady way and not to tear her down as a person. Liza Esquibias, People.com, 3 Mar. 2025 Season one ended with Charlie taking down her nemesis, casino fixer Cliff (Benjamin Bratt), only to be approached by another shady operator, Rhea Perlman’s Beatrix Hasp, to either work for her or be hunted again. Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Feb. 2025 While he is never seen on screen, USA TODAY confirmed that Quan voices Kenny Nguyen, a businessman who once worked with Timothy Ratliff (Jason Isaacs) on a shady deal. Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 24 Feb. 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Shady.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shady. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.

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
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