shading

noun

shad·​ing ˈshā-diŋ 

1

: the use of marking made within outlines to suggest three-dimensionality, shadow, or degrees of light and dark in a picture or drawing

2

: an interpretative effect in music gained especially by subtle changes in dynamics

Examples of shading in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Sure, there are dystopian shadings in the inference that robots will form their own communities, leaving people behind. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2026

Blue shading indicates clear skies, while the grayer the shading and higher the percentage numbers, the higher the chance for clouds. —Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 15 May 2026

Now, in a more intimate setting, the sullen and sometimes-sarcastic shadings of this longtime singer-songwriter should hark back to Folds’ fledgling days on the alt-music scene. —David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 May 2026

Case in point is the Haryma necklace, where yellow and orange diamonds come to play with garnets and white diamonds to create a shading effect on the necklace and figurative tiger descending a staircase arrangement supported by five imperial topazes, totaling just over 28 carats. —Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 13 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1663, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for shading

• aiding
• blading
• braiding
• fading
• grading
• lading
• raiding
• trading
• wading
• abrading
• blockading
• cascading