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

• vague
• faint
• hazy

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

Julia Fox morphed into a Gothic doll for Marc Jacobs’ fall 2025 ready-to-wear fashion presentation in New York City on Monday night, with jet-black extensions and shadowy eyes. —Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 1 July 2025

Ticket Information Brompton Cemetery Catacombs Hidden beneath one of London’s most atmospheric Victorian cemeteries lie the Brompton Catacombs — a shadowy underworld of vaulted chambers and crypts. —Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025

In the new track's accompanying music video, Capaldi can be seen sitting alone in a shadowy room from a distance, picking away at an acoustic guitar. —Chris Barilla, People.com, 27 June 2025

In that case, shadowy middlemen dispensed bribes of $200 to $250 per account to Bank of America employees who overrode internal compliance systems to open accounts for overseas Chinese citizens who weren’t physically present at the branch to open the accounts, in violation of the bank’s rules. —Cezary Podkul, ProPublica, 25 June 2025

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