Synonyms of shade

shade 1 of 2

noun

ˈshād 

1

as in shadow

partial darkness due to the obstruction of light rays

it was hard to see in the shade after being in the brilliant sunlight

the trees cast shade

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shadow
• dusk
• blackness
• gloom
• penumbra
• umbra
• shadiness
• dimness
• semidarkness
• murkiness
• duskiness
• gloominess
• obscurity
• somberness
• cloudiness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• light
• brightness
• illumination
• luminosity
• radiance
• luminance
• lightness
• brilliance
• lucidity
• incandescence
• effulgence
• radiancy
• luminousness
• lucidness

2

as in shadows

a time or place of little or no light

enjoying the cool shade of the evening

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shadows
• dark
• black
• blackness
• night
• dusk
• darkness
• twilight
• gloom
• candlelight
• midnight
• semidarkness
• gloaming
• umbra
• murk
• blackout
• umbrage
• dullness
• dimness
• paleness
• somberness
• grayness
• cloudiness
• shadiness
• haziness
• murkiness
• brownout
• faintness
• half-light
• dimout
• gloominess
• mistiness
• fogginess

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• light
• glow
• brightness
• day
• glare
• daylight
• sunlight
• lightness
• brilliance
• blaze
• moonlight
• sunshine
• starlight
• radiance
• shine
• luminosity
• luminescence
• luminance
• radiancy
• effulgence
• incandescence
• luminousness

3

as in hue

a property that becomes apparent when light falls on an object and by which things that are identical in form can be distinguished

a lovely shade of blue

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hue
• color
• tone
• tint
• coloration
• tinge
• coloring
• tincture
• cast
• brightness
• contrast
• undertone
• pigmentation
• saturation
• overtone
• lightness
• chroma
• value
• chromaticity
• primary color
• secondary color
• tertiary color
• colorway

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• achromatism

4

as in splash

a very small amount

just a shade taller than his dance partner

Synonyms & Similar Words

• splash
• glimmer
• hint
• sprinkling
• shred
• speck
• bit
• touch
• little
• lick
• tad
• trace
• spark
• ray
• dab
• particle
• spot
• handful
• sliver
• shadow
• spatter
• streak
• smell
• smidgen
• ounce
• crumb
• fleck
• peanuts
• smack
• portion
• scintilla
• suspicion
• dram
• minimum
• dash
• strain
• mite
• pinch
• nip
• bite
• drop in the bucket
• drop
• grain
• dose
• scruple
• ace
• soupçon
• skosh
• patch
• taste
• molecule
• part
• semblance
• snap
• section
• dot
• driblet
• whit
• modicum
• syllable
• atom
• vestige
• granule
• fragment
• mote
• nibble
• scattering
• iota
• jot
• tittle
• morsel
• minim
• scrap
• smattering
• hoot
• flake
• splinter
• flyspeck
• chip
• shard
• nubbin
• clipping
• shaving
• shiver
• smatter
• tatter
• paring
• smithereens
• shot

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• quantity
• mountain
• bucket
• abundance
• plenty
• loads
• barrel
• lot
• wealth
• pile
• bushel
• stack
• deal
• mass
• bundle
• profusion
• heaps
• raft
• mess
• peck
• volume
• wad
• fistful
• excess
• reams
• surplus
• lashings
• gobs
• potful
• oodles
• slab
• overflow
• boatload
• embarrassment
• much
• scads
• overabundance
• passel
• chunk
• superabundance
• bonanza
• surfeit
• superfluity
• oversupply
• overage
• lump
• hunk
• overkill
• overmuch

5

as in apparition

the soul of a dead person thought of especially as appearing to living people

spirits and shades haunting the night

Synonyms & Similar Words

• apparition
• ghost
• spirit
• shadow
• phantom
• sprite
• wraith
• vision
• vampire
• haunt
• materialization
• specter
• familiar spirit
• spook
• phantasm
• bogey
• zombie
• visitant
• demon
• angel
• hant
• poltergeist
• familiar
• double
• fetch
• genie
• ghoul
• manes
• daimon
• doppelgänger
• genius
• jinni
• incubus
• succubus
• imp
• shaitan
• devil
• lemures
• lamia
• fiend
• cacodemon

shade

2 of 2

verb

as in to protect

to shelter (something) from light and heat

the trees shaded us quite nicely from the noonday sun

Synonyms & Similar Words

• protect
• shadow
• cover
• dim
• overcast
• dull
• cloud
• darken
• canopy
• overshadow
• screen

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• light
• illuminate
• expose
• lighten

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of shade

Noun

The bronzer offers semi-sheer pigment in just two surprisingly stretchy shades. — Deanna Pai, Vogue, 10 July 2026

In the heat of summer, large bluegills love to hang in the cool shade below docks. — Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 9 July 2026

Verb

Enjoy your breakfast in Jardim de Parada, a lush village square of fountains, playgrounds, and benches shaded by century-old trees. — Adam Erace, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2026

Nestled on almost half an acre shaded by a huge oak tree, with a nearby access point to Sag Harbor Cove, the Gothic Victorian’s white wood exterior features a dramatic turret, multiple gables, deep eaves, and oversized windows. — Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 7 July 2026