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

• blear
• bleary
• blurry
• dim
• faint
• foggy
• fuzzy
• gauzy
• hazy
• indefinite
• indistinct
• indistinguishable
• misty
• murky
• nebulous
• obscure
• opaque
• pale
• unclear
• undefined
• undetermined
• vague

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

One frustrating element of Lamar’s production was difficulty seeing him in between shadowy lighting despite the Mission Control assembly of soundboards and video monitors at the back of the stadium floor. —Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 21 Apr. 2025

The job, offered through a shadowy group, turned Mr. Bardadim into an unwitting foot soldier for Russia as part of a multipronged campaign of sabotage attacks on targets across Europe, Lithuanian investigators say. —Tomas Dapkus, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2025

Details in light and shadowy areas are sharp, though the Pixel 8 Pro renders a bit more detail here. —PC Magazine, 10 Apr. 2025

The Dark Money Game investigates the shadowy world of political donations and fundraising 15 years after the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, which enabled unlimited spending by hidden sources on political campaigns. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 7 Apr. 2025

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