throw shade
phrase
informal
: to publicly express contempt or disrespect for someone or something especially in an indirect or subtle way : criticize
… answered a question to the media that seemed to throw shade at his former teammate …—Farbod Esnaashari
… was accused of throwing shade at the singer in a now-deleted TikTok [video].—Leyla Mohammed
When the vendor typed "excuse me," my friend assumed the vendor was throwing major shade his way …—Jennifer Silverman
… haters took to the comment section and threw major shade at the star …—Julia Teti
Cite this Entry
“Throw shade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/throw%20shade. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.
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