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 of shadowy

• 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

The painting, surrounded by scaffolding while the church undergoes repairs, is full of thrusting diagonals and shadowy figures, a meditation on both extreme suffering and pointed indifference to it. —Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 16 May 2026

The second variant had previously been identified in Denisovans, another shadowy species of ancient human, and also in some modern human populations. —Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 14 May 2026

Her death bed looks more like a throne, and with all three women covered in scars, their so far unspoken history evokes the shadowy intrigue of royalty, too. —Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 13 May 2026

Abandoned in the dark, rutted parking lot of a run-down strip mall, Nurul Amin would have sensed the shadowy unwelcome of closed and vacant storefronts. —Dan Barry, New York Times, 12 May 2026

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