Synonyms of shades

shades 1 of 2

noun

plural of shade

1

as in colors

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

• colors
• hues
• tones
• tints
• colorations
• tinges
• tinctures
• colorings
• contrasts
• casts
• undertones
• overtones
• primary colors
• values
• saturations
• pigmentations
• secondary colors
• chromas
• chromaticities
• tertiary colors
• colorways

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• achromatisms

2

as in splashes

a very small amount

just a shade taller than his dance partner

Synonyms & Similar Words

• splashes
• specks
• glimmers
• sprinklings
• hints
• touches
• bits
• little
• shadows
• licks
• particles
• dabs
• traces
• flecks
• rays
• sparks
• streaks
• handfuls
• ounces
• smells
• slivers
• drams
• spots
• spatters
• shreds
• crumbs
• nips
• peanuts
• bites
• smacks
• scruples
• soupçons
• strains
• dashes
• suspicions
• mites
• scintillas
• parts
• driblets
• drops
• smidgens
• snaps
• molecules
• pinches
• aces
• skoshes
• drops in the bucket
• grains
• patches
• tastes
• dots
• atoms
• syllables
• doses
• granules
• portions
• sections
• semblances
• vestiges
• minima
• fragments
• scraps
• minims
• motes
• whits
• nibbles
• nubbins
• smatterings
• morsels
• chips
• modicums
• iotas
• jots
• flakes
• shards
• flyspecks
• scatterings
• hoots
• splinters
• tittles
• shivers
• shavings
• clippings
• smatters
• parings
• tatters
• smithereens
• shots

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• masses
• quantities
• loads
• mountains
• barrels
• buckets
• piles
• bundles
• bushels
• lots
• stacks
• deals
• heaps
• rafts
• abundances
• volumes
• reams
• gobs
• pecks
• fistfuls
• scads
• oodles
• wads
• wealths
• boatloads
• messes
• lashings
• profusions
• much
• potfuls
• excesses
• plenties
• passels
• slabs
• surpluses
• overflows
• chunks
• embarrassments
• superfluities
• bonanzas
• overages
• hunks
• lumps
• overmuch
• overabundances
• surfeits
• oversupplies
• overkills
• superabundances

3

as in spirits

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

spirits and shades haunting the night

Synonyms & Similar Words

• spirits
• shadows
• apparitions
• ghosts
• visions
• phantoms
• wraiths
• haunts
• specters
• vampires
• materializations
• familiar spirits
• phantasms
• sprites
• zombies
• spooks
• poltergeists
• demons
• visitants
• bogeys
• angels
• hants
• genies
• doubles
• daimones
• ghouls
• jinn
• manes
• familiars
• fetches
• doppelgängers
• shaitans
• succubi
• incubi
• geniuses
• devils
• lemures
• imps
• lamiae
• cacodemons
• fiends

shades

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of shade

as in shadows

to shelter (something) from light and heat

the trees shaded us quite nicely from the noonday sun

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shadows
• protects
• covers
• clouds
• dims
• darkens
• overshadows
• dulls
• overcasts
• screens
• canopies

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• lights
• illuminates
• exposes
• lightens

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of shades

Noun

Lightweight, durable, and resistant to impact, the wraparound shades are also completely and utterly cool. — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026

After spending much of the year in bright tomato reds and pretty, polished pinks, the actor and singer has gone several shades deeper for fall, courtesy of longtime nail artist Tom Bachik. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 3 Oct. 2026

Some shades were too bright pink, while others were too drab. — Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026

Back Passenger Windows Have Electronic Window Shades Hidden behind the back doors are sun shades to reduce heat. — Tyler Hayes, PC Magazine, 29 Sep. 2026

More Budget-Friendly Blinds and shades for the whole house can add up quickly, but decorative window film is an easy way to cut costs. — Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 28 Sep. 2026

With the fan and light turned off, check for loose globes, shades, bulbs, finials, or other decorative pieces. — Tricia Goss, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2026

Think again, because the feminine style has received a fall-appropriate revamp, leaning into moodier seasonal shades with the occasional pop of color. — Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 28 Sep. 2026

Jones Road’s Chocolate and Cognac shades and MERIT’s Brownstone lip liner are current takes on the palette, and NYX Professional Makeup, MAC and Rimmel have all appeared in autumn brown-lip coverage. — Ashley Lynch, Charlotte Observer, 28 Sep. 2026

Verb

Aaron Rodgers seemingly shades his brother Jordan in a new interview. — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026

Gabriel and Haaland are key men for their countries, too; whoever shades their personal duel will have a great chance of finishing on the winning team. — Jack Lang, New York Times, 5 July 2026

The thick debris mantle shades the ice, keeping it colder, similar to how ski areas have started covering their slopes with reflective blankets in summer to stave off melting. — Ashlesha Khatiwada, The Conversation, 1 July 2026

Morning sun is best, so keep these flowers on a porch that shades them from afternoon sun or provides dappled light. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 1 July 2026

Nieusma notes that calendula grows low to the ground, forming a ground cover that shades the soil and suppresses weeds. — Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 26 June 2026

The side has an awning held up by support bars, which shades the front doorway and mesh window. — Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 22 June 2026

Pulling the focal point to the base of the nails, this manicure shades over the cuticle border with metallic blue half-moons. — Sunnah Rasheed, InStyle, 25 May 2026

So that's the thing that keeps us cooler, shades us. — March 9, CBS News, 9 Mar. 2026