shadowy

adjective

shad·​owy ˈsha-dō-ē 

-də-wē

1

a

: of the nature of or resembling a shadow

b

: faintly perceptible : indistinct

2

: being in or obscured by shadow

deep shadowy interiors

3

a

: shady sense 1

b

: shady sense 3

shadowily

ˈsha-də-wə-lē 

adverb

shadowiness

ˈsha-də-wē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• blear
• bleary
• blurry
• dim
• faint
• foggy
• fuzzy
• gauzy
• hazy
• indefinite
• indistinct
• indistinguishable
• misty
• murky
• nebulous
• obscure
• opaque
• pale
• unclear
• undefined
• undetermined
• vague

Examples of shadowy in a Sentence

She was pursued by a shadowy figure.

He had only a shadowy idea of what they wanted him to do.

Recent Examples on the Web

Loading your audio article HERCULES — Two shadowy figures here were somehow able to convince a woman to hand them a bag of cash containing $24,000 and close her eyes to join them in prayer, in another bizarre scam to hit a Bay Area resident. —Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024

In this scene and others, Eastwood lulls the audience into a different kind of dream state than the shadowy interiors; placing the action in direct sunlight, the director indicates there’s nothing to fear — then pulls the rug out by revealing the menace lurking just outside the frame. —Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 6 Nov. 2024

Since then, at least five more shadowy spots have peppered Neptune’s face. —Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Nov. 2024

Challengers assume these errors are not routine discrepancies but evidence of systematic voter fraud and a shadowy plot to foil the presidential election. —Caroline Haskins, WIRED, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

shadowy

adjective

shad·​owy ˈshad-ə-wē 

1

a

: not realistic

shadowy dreams of glory

b

: dim as a shadow

the shadowy area between good and bad

2

: full of shade

a shadowy lane