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

Many Dungeons & Dragons stories start in small towns far from any city located near shadowy locations filled with monsters. —Rob Wieland, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024

Critics have accused Georgian Dream — established by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a shadowy billionaire who made his fortune in Russia — of becoming increasingly authoritarian and tilted toward Moscow. —Sophiko Megrelidze, Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 2024

Moana 2's beguiling new villain shares a shadowy history with Maui The song comes near the climax of the sequel, as Moana reaches her lowest point, ready to give up on her attempts to reach the lost island of Motufetu and reconnect the people of Oceania. —Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 28 Nov. 2024

The dreamy instrumentation contrasts with the shadowy lyrics about grief. —Juan Velasquez, Them, 25 Nov. 2024

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