1
as in shaded
protected from the sun's rays
a lovely shady spot in the park that was pleasantly cool
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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
Chloe's jealous, rich and shady boyfriend, Gary (aka killer Greg) owns the yacht, by the way.
—
Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2025
The star of Russian Doll plays Charlie Cale, a human lie detector on the run from a shady casino enforcer (Benjamin Bratt).
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2025
Along with Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez and James Franco, the film stars Tampa Bay, cast as a quintessential sunny place for shady people.
—Kathryn Varn, Axios, 18 Mar. 2025
To his supporters, Trump is taking justifiable action over past shady behavior.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shady
Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2025
The star of Russian Doll plays Charlie Cale, a human lie detector on the run from a shady casino enforcer (Benjamin Bratt).
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2025
Along with Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez and James Franco, the film stars Tampa Bay, cast as a quintessential sunny place for shady people.
—Kathryn Varn, Axios, 18 Mar. 2025
To his supporters, Trump is taking justifiable action over past shady behavior.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 14 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
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Wiggins was listed as questionable on the injury report before being upgraded to available.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
10 Apr. 2025
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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
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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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Rain isn’t the only concern for the Rays this season; fans will now be exposed to the area’s notorious summer heat and humidity.—
Jason Clinkscales,
Sportico.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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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
Adjective
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In Messiah, Scytale is a shadowy, shapeshifting figure who concocts a plan to overthrow Paul Atreides (played by Timothée Chalamet in Villeneuve's movies).—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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Confronting this shadowy threat to kids everywhere, Mani was named as one of TIME's most influential people in AI last year due to her advocacy fighting deepfakes.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
4 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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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Shady.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shady. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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