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.
Gates has three ecosystems on her quarter-acre: a sunny front yard, a shady back plot and a small wetland garden on one side. USA Today, 16 May 2025 With its rolling hills, shady live oaks, and thriving equestrian scene, Ocala already has bucolic appeal. Skye Sherman, Southern Living, 14 May 2025 Join a group hike along a shady, 1.5-mile trail in Doris Leeper Spruce Creek Preserve. Joe Rassel, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 May 2025 The fear this instills in I-Jing — already ignored by her busy mother, nor attended to by her mercurial older sister, I-Ann, who holds a grudge against her mother and rebels by working at a shady betel nut stand — sets off a secrets-unearthing chain of events. Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 14 May 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 19 May. 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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