shade

1 of 2

noun

ˈshād 

1

a

: comparative darkness or obscurity owing to interception of the rays of light

b

: relative obscurity or retirement

2

a

: shelter (as by foliage) from the heat and glare of sunlight

b

: a place sheltered from the sun

3

: an evanescent or unreal appearance

4

shades plural

a

: the shadows that gather as darkness comes on

b

: netherworld, hades

5

a

: a disembodied spirit : ghost

b

—used to signal the similarity between a previously encountered person or situation and one at hand

—usually used in plural

shades of my childhood

6

: something that intercepts or shelters from light, sun, or heat: such as

a

: a device partially covering a lamp so as to reduce glare

b

: a flexible screen usually mounted on a roller for regulating the light or the view through a window

c

shades plural : sunglasses

7

a

: the reproduction of the effect of shade in painting or drawing

b

: a subdued or somber feature

8

a

: a color produced by a pigment or dye mixture having some black in it

b

: a color slightly different from the one under consideration

9

a

: a minute difference or variation : nuance

b

: a minute degree or quantity

10

: a facial expression of sadness or displeasure

shadeless

ˈshād-ləs 

adjective

shade

2 of 2

verb

shaded; shading

transitive verb

1

a

: to shelter or screen by intercepting radiated light or heat

b

: to cover with a shade

2

: to hide partly by or as if by a shadow

3

: to darken with or as if with a shadow

4

: to better or exceed by a shade

5

a

: to represent the effect of shade or shadow on

b

: to add shading to

c

: to color so that the shades pass gradually from one to another

6

: to change by gradual transition or qualification

7

: to reduce slightly

shade a price

8

: slant, bias

intransitive verb

1

: to pass by slight changes or imperceptible degrees

2

: to undergo or exhibit minute difference or variation

shader noun

Phrases

throw shade

US slang

: to express contempt or disrespect for someone publicly especially by subtle or indirect insults or criticisms

Christopher Oram's elegant set is a pillared palazzo; at cafe tables wasp-waisted women sip tiny cups of espresso and throw shade at their rivals from behind dark glasses …

—Sam Marlowe

Synonyms

Noun

• dusk
• penumbra
• shadiness
• shadow
• umbra

Verb

• shadow

Examples of shade in a Sentence

Noun

The buildings cast shade on the plaza.

The tree provided plenty of shade.

These plants grow well in shade.

It was a hot sunny day, but luckily their seats for the game were in the shade.

We sat in the shade of a willow tree.

He used his hand as a shade as he looked out into the bright sunlight.

a lamp with a broken shade

She pulled down the shades.

She was wearing a cool pair of shades.

Verb

Several large trees shade the house.

She shaded the drawing to give it depth.

The shaded part of the graph represents the amount of sales.

The article shaded the truth by revealing only one side of the story.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

At one point, Medvedev hit and shook the shade cover on his chair in anger. —Matias Grez, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024

Grab it in one of 10 shades or customize your mug with a personalized engraving. —Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024

Elevations rise to 1,000 feet in the Vaca Range on the east side of the AVA, where grapes receive sun late in the day, while afternoon shade is one of the benefits to vineyards planted in the Mayacamas Mountains on the west side, which ascend to a less extreme 500 feet. —Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 11 Apr. 2024

The event continued to the VIP rooftop, where a packed crowd sipped champagne and Pellegrino and munched on caviar blinis while seeking shade from the 6 PM pre-summer sun. —Samantha Brooks, Vogue, 10 Apr. 2024

Shake Shack announced a month-long chicken sandwich promotion last week and appeared to throw shade at Chick-fil-A in the process. —Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024

But confidently taking the stage Friday in prom-ready attire (and briefly sporting matching shades for the encore), the band's five members and touring drummer Rebekah Rayner swiftly demonstrated a striking sense of self and delivered a 13-song set void of any drag and filled with gripping drama. —Journal Sentinel, 6 Apr. 2024

This button-down top is currently available in three shades (traditional denim, black, and cream), but all are versatile and endlessly cool when paired with a matching bottom, flowy skirt, or trousers. —Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 6 Apr. 2024

But Koudelka had looked intently enough at pitted earth, scarred concrete, and polluted water to find lines, shapes, shades, and shadows in gorgeous combinations. —Nicholas Dawidoff, The New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2024

Verb

When skeletal remains surfaced in Bellaghy bog in 2023, the discovery was shaded with a discomforting question: Was this an archaeological site, or a crime scene? —Ed O’Loughlin, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2024

CoCo Key Hotel and Water Resort A water park that's largely shaded from Florida's plentiful and sometimes punishing sunshine — now there's a great idea! —Terry Ward, Travel + Leisure, 1 Apr. 2024

Places within the line of totality are shaded in the darkest shade of red. —Anna Gordon, TIME, 30 Mar. 2024

Despite the exotic beauty of seeing a giant circle slowly shade out the sun, solar eclipses should not be viewed by the naked eye. —Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 26 Mar. 2024

And in the beachside eatery, shaded by swaying palms and overlooking a heavenly white swath of sand and the aqua blue waters of the atoll, travelers can dine on traditional dishes such as Tahitian-style raw poisson cru and lagoon fish ceviche with coconut cilantro. —Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 11 Mar. 2024

Jutting trees shaded the narrow, shallow river, which gracefully curved its way into a thicket of emerald green. —Mya Guarnieri, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2024

Tall trees and towering bamboo shoots that shade the deck both obscure and frame glimmering vistas over the ocean. —James McClain, Robb Report, 16 Feb. 2024

When skeletal remains surfaced in Northern Ireland last year, the discovery was shaded with a discomforting question: Was this an archaeological site, or a crime scene? —Ali Watkins, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English sceadu; akin to Old High German scato shadow, Greek skotos darkness

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

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

Phrases Containing shade

• a shade
• have it made in the shade
• shade tree
• put (someone or something) in the shade
• window shade
• shade into
• shade-grown
• throw shade

Kids Definition

shade

1 of 2 noun

ˈshād 

1

: partial darkness

the trees cast shade

2

: space sheltered from the heat and bright light of the sun

sit in the shade of a tree

3

plural : the shadows that gather as darkness falls

the shades of night

4

: spirit entry 1 sense 2b, ghost

5

: something that blocks off or cuts down light, sun, or heat

a lamp shade

a window shade

6

: the darkening of some objects in a painting or drawing to suggest that they are in shade

7

: the darkness or lightness of a color

four shades of brown

8

: a very small difference or amount

just a shade taller

shades of meaning

shadeless

-ləs 

adjective

shade

2 of 2 verb

shaded; shading

1

: to shelter from light or heat

2

: to mark with changes of light or color

shade a drawing

3

: to show or begin to have slight differences of color, value, or meaning

shader noun