shad·ow
ˈsha-(ˌ)dō 
1
: the dark figure cast upon a surface by a body intercepting the rays from a source of light
2
: partial darkness or obscurity within a part of space from which rays from a source of light are cut off by an interposed opaque body
3
: a small degree or portion : trace
4
: an attenuated form or a vestigial remnant
5
a
: an inseparable companion or follower
b
: one (such as a spy or detective) who shadows someone
6
a
: an area near an object : vicinity
b
: pervasive and dominant influence
7
: a shaded or darker portion of a picture
8
: a reflected image
9
: shelter from danger or observation
10
a
: an imperfect and faint representation
b
: an imitation of something : copy
11
: phantom
12
13
: a source of gloom or unhappiness
14
: a state of ignominy or obscurity
shadowed; shadowing; shadows
1
: to cast a shadow upon : cloud
2
a
: to follow especially secretly : trail
b
: to accompany and observe especially in a professional setting
3
: to represent or indicate obscurely or faintly
—often used with forth or out
5
archaic
: shade sense 5
6
obsolete
: to shelter from the sun
7
obsolete
: conceal
1
: to pass gradually or by degrees
2
: to become overcast with or as if with shadows
1
: of, relating to, or resembling a shadow cabinet
shadow minister of defense
2
a
: having an indistinct pattern
shadow plaid
b
: having darker sections of design
shadow lace
Synonyms
Examples of shadow in a Sentence
Noun
The tree cast a long shadow across the lawn.
You can see your own shadow on a sunny day.
Part of the valley was in shadow.
He saw something moving in the shadows.
I sensed a shadow of disappointment in his expression.
Verb
Police shadowed the suspect for several days.
She spent the night shadowing other waiters at the restaurant.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Hannah Wiley, Los Angeles Times, 24 Nov. 2023
The mandatory hijab drained a once-colorful capital of its vibrant hues, casting half of the population into shadow.
—Roya Hakakian, The Atlantic, 22 Nov. 2023
In the annals of American time, the November 22nd that happened sixty years ago today still casts a very long shadow.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 22 Nov. 2023
The United States did know that, despite the promise of de-escalation, the shadow war between Iran and Israel continued to simmer.
—Maria Fantappie and Vali Nasr, Foreign Affairs, 20 Nov. 2023
The details on shadow draw calls stuck out in particular.
—Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 19 Nov. 2023
The romance between Rustin and the preacher exists in the shadows — under the dim lights of a nearby bar or behind the blinds in Rustin’s home.
—Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 18 Nov. 2023
This includes a muted yellow and purple-toned glitter shadow and neutral lip gloss– like at her Biker Boys premiere in 2003.
—India Espy-Jones, Essence, 17 Nov. 2023
Since contour products are meant to deepen the hollows of your facial structure and emulate shadows, these products will typically not have shimmery finishes, as those tend to throw light rather than absorb it (like a shadow).
—Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 12 Nov. 2023
Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2023
The three oldest working generations most prefer real-life or experiential learning—six out of 10 baby boomers prefer on-the-job training or shadowing over short-form content.
—Paige McGlauflin, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2023
Her Mollie is almost a land unto herself, shadowed by passing, shape-shifting clouds.
—Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 19 Oct. 2023
And the circumstances of the book’s release, which was shadowed by rumors of hasty last-minute rewrites and copies not being made available to reviewers until the publication date, added to conjecture.
—Jacob Bacharach, The New Republic, 12 Oct. 2023
Faustus used his own expert knowledge of optics, light, and shadow to project large-scale images of Greeks and Trojans on a sheet, which a
confederate shook so that the figures
seemed to move.
—Anthony Grafton, Harper's Magazine, 11 Oct. 2023
The justices will revisit issues like gun rights, government power, race and free speech even as they are shadowed by intense scrutiny of their conduct off the bench.
—Abbie Vansickle, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2023
Some provinces in China fund medical ships to shadow distant-water fishing fleets based in their ports.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2023
Meantime, Russia scrambled a MiG-31 fighter jet to shadow a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon patrol plane approaching Russian airspace over the Norwegian Sea, Russia's Ministry of Defense said.
—Hanna Arhirova The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2023
Lisa Stardust, Glamour, 3 June 2022
The sooner, the better, as this transit has a pre-shadow period starting before the retrograde itself hits.
—Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Nov. 2021
The sooner, the better as this transit has a pre-shadow period starting before the retrograde itself hits.
—Meghan Ros, Glamour, 1 Sep. 2021
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Noun
Advertisement But the hometown team Real grew up with is a shadow of its former self.
—Hannah Wiley, Los Angeles Times, 24 Nov. 2023
The mandatory hijab drained a once-colorful capital of its vibrant hues, casting half of the population into shadow.
—Roya Hakakian, The Atlantic, 22 Nov. 2023
In the annals of American time, the November 22nd that happened sixty years ago today still casts a very long shadow.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 22 Nov. 2023
The United States did know that, despite the promise of de-escalation, the shadow war between Iran and Israel continued to simmer.
—Maria Fantappie and Vali Nasr, Foreign Affairs, 20 Nov. 2023
The details on shadow draw calls stuck out in particular.
—Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 19 Nov. 2023
The romance between Rustin and the preacher exists in the shadows — under the dim lights of a nearby bar or behind the blinds in Rustin’s home.
—Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 18 Nov. 2023
This includes a muted yellow and purple-toned glitter shadow and neutral lip gloss– like at her Biker Boys premiere in 2003.
—India Espy-Jones, Essence, 17 Nov. 2023
Since contour products are meant to deepen the hollows of your facial structure and emulate shadows, these products will typically not have shimmery finishes, as those tend to throw light rather than absorb it (like a shadow).
—Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 12 Nov. 2023
Verb
After being shadowed by the Chinese vessels for days, the Rafael Peralta and the Ottawa sailed through the Taiwan Strait mostly unhindered.
—Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2023
The three oldest working generations most prefer real-life or experiential learning—six out of 10 baby boomers prefer on-the-job training or shadowing over short-form content.
—Paige McGlauflin, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2023
Her Mollie is almost a land unto herself, shadowed by passing, shape-shifting clouds.
—Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 19 Oct. 2023
And the circumstances of the book’s release, which was shadowed by rumors of hasty last-minute rewrites and copies not being made available to reviewers until the publication date, added to conjecture.
—Jacob Bacharach, The New Republic, 12 Oct. 2023
Faustus used his own expert knowledge of optics, light, and shadow to project large-scale images of Greeks and Trojans on a sheet, which a
confederate shook so that the figures
seemed to move.
—Anthony Grafton, Harper's Magazine, 11 Oct. 2023
The justices will revisit issues like gun rights, government power, race and free speech even as they are shadowed by intense scrutiny of their conduct off the bench.
—Abbie Vansickle, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2023
Some provinces in China fund medical ships to shadow distant-water fishing fleets based in their ports.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2023
Meantime, Russia scrambled a MiG-31 fighter jet to shadow a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon patrol plane approaching Russian airspace over the Norwegian Sea, Russia's Ministry of Defense said.
—Hanna Arhirova The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2023
Adjective
The pre-shadow phase of the retrograde starts in motion the things that will affect us during the retrograde, so this is when the drama first manifests.
—Lisa Stardust, Glamour, 3 June 2022
The sooner, the better, as this transit has a pre-shadow period starting before the retrograde itself hits.
—Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Nov. 2021
The sooner, the better as this transit has a pre-shadow period starting before the retrograde itself hits.
—Meghan Ros, Glamour, 1 Sep. 2021
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shadow.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English shadwe, from Old English sceaduw-, sceadu shade
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Verb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 4
Adjective
1906, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of shadow was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing shadow
Dictionary Entries Near shadow
Cite this Entry
“Shadow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shadow. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
shadow
1 of 2 noun
shad·ow
ˈshad-ō
1
: shade within certain bounds
the valley was in shadow
2
: a reflected image (as in a mirror)
3
: shelter from danger or view
4
a
: an imperfect and faint representation
b
: an imitation of something
5
: the dark figure cast on a surface by a body that is between the surface and the light
my shadow stays with me
6
7
plural
: darkness caused by the setting of the sun
twilight shadows
8
: a shaded part of a picture
10
a
: an inseparable companion or follower
b
: a person who shadows as a spy or detective
11
: a very little bit : trace
not a shadow of a doubt
12
: a source of gloom or unhappiness
Medical Definition
shadow
1 of 2 noun
shad·ow
ˈshad-(ˌ)ō, -ə(-w)
1
a
: partial darkness or obscurity within a part of space from which rays from a source of light are cut off by an interposed opaque body
b
: a dark outline or image on an X-ray photograph where the X-rays have been blocked by a radiopaque mass (as a tumor)
2
: a colorless or slightly pigmented or stained body (as a degenerate cell or empty membrane) only faintly visible under the microscope
shadow
2 of 2 transitive verb
: to perform shadow-casting on
freeze-dried and shadowed myosin molecules
More from Merriam-Webster on shadow
Nglish: Translation of shadow for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of shadow for Arabic Speakers
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