shadow

1 of 3

noun

shad·​ow ˈsha-(ˌ)dō How to pronounce shadow (audio)
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
12
shadows plural : dark sense 1a
13
: a source of gloom or unhappiness
14
: a state of ignominy or obscurity
shadowless
ˈsha-dō-ləs How to pronounce shadow (audio)
-də-ləs
adjective
shadowlike
ˈsha-dō-ˌlīk How to pronounce shadow (audio)
-də-ˌlīk
adjective

shadow

2 of 3

verb

shadowed; shadowing; shadows

transitive verb

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
4
archaic : shelter, protect
5
archaic : shade sense 5
6
obsolete : to shelter from the sun
7
obsolete : conceal

intransitive verb

1
: to pass gradually or by degrees
2
: to become overcast with or as if with shadows
shadower
ˈsha-dō-ər How to pronounce shadow (audio)
-də-wər
noun

shadow

3 of 3

adjective

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

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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
And in the bright sunshine, out of the shadows and not required to exist under a blanket of clouds, a day such as Friday with a high of 66 provides the physical feel and creature comforts of a far warmer day. Martin Weil, Washington Post, 17 Mar. 2024 Even so, surely no American wants to see what comes next, as Jessie and Lee shadow troops trying to shoot their way into the White House. Peter Debruge, Variety, 15 Mar. 2024 The Picasso Museum hopes to correct the record, highlighting a legacy that has long been obscured by Picasso’s shadow. Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Mar. 2024 Echoing Roversi’s studio, the scenography moves from shadow to light in a non-linear staging with notable cameos by now-fashion royalty like Naomi Campbell, Natalia Vodianova, and Rihanna. Tina Isaac-Goizé, Vogue, 14 Mar. 2024 To avoid sanctions and a price cap on oil shipments, Russia had to shell out billions to buy a shadow fleet of aging tankers that don’t use Western insurers who have to honor the price ceiling. David McHugh and Vladimir Isachenkov, Quartz, 12 Mar. 2024 The situation has also cast an uneasy shadow over the annual Commonwealth Day celebration, which Prince William and other senior royals were due to attend at Westminster Abbey later Monday. Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 Many have pointed out that the foliage on the trees isn’t consistent with the current climate in Britain, there aren’t shadows or reflections indicative of a real photo, one of Kate’s hands is blurry, her legs appear to be too short to make sense proportionately…the list goes on. Sydney Lake, Fortune, 11 Mar. 2024 That focuses the moon's shadow on an area of land much smaller than the moon itself. Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 10 Mar. 2024
Verb
Having the day off school for staff development, 300 students spent anywhere from an hour to a full day shadowing professionals at 61 companies such as Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Lockheed Martin, or at local businesses like Sara’s Southern Kitchen. Isha Trivedi, The Mercury News, 12 Mar. 2024 By emphasizing the details of her characters’ work, Waldman endows what might seem insubstantial in other hands with depth and shadow. Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2024 The Texas policy also calls for new team members to shadow the group for two executions, and then to be supervised on their first two executions, in turn. Bill Chappell, NPR, 6 Mar. 2024 The Chinese Navy also has been shadowing and harassing American warships working in the South China Sea, the Defense Department said. Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Feb. 2024 Andrews had capably shadowed Ellis in the first game between the teams but was repeatedly beaten in the rematch. Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2024 Kertzer sheds light on the complex decisions facing the Vatican during one of history’s darkest periods and offers a critical examination of a figure who navigated the treacherous currents of fascism and genocide, providing insights into questions that have long shadowed Pius XII’s papacy. David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Feb. 2024 Boateng went to great lengths to make employees feel part of a collaborative process, shadowing employees from all areas of the business to develop an intimate understanding of their needs. Caitlin Gunther, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Feb. 2024 The Moon’s south pole is permanently shadowed — great for ice, but less than ideal for navigating a lander. Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 15 Feb. 2024
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

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

Dictionary Entries Near shadow

Cite this Entry

“Shadow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shadow. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

shadow

1 of 2 noun
shad·​ow ˈshad-ō How to pronounce shadow (audio)
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
9
: a form from which the substance has departed : remnant, vestige
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
shadowless adjective
shadowlike adjective

shadow

2 of 2 verb
1
: to cast a shadow on
2
: to follow especially secretly : trail
shadower noun

Medical Definition

shadow

1 of 2 noun
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

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