shadowy

adjective

ˈsha-dō-ē How to pronounce shadowy (audio)
Definition of shadowynext
1
as in vague
not seen or understood clearly the shadowy area between tough interrogation and torture

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shady
protected from the sun's rays a shadowy lane that is a mosaic of colors during the autumn foliage season

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of shadowy Utopia follows a group of nerds who discover a comic has been predicting historic events and accidentally unmask a shadowy conspiracy. — William Worrall, Space.com, 15 July 2026 The big mic drop at the conclusion of the finale turns out that Paula is a stone-cold (if possibly accidental) killer after all, and that the shadowy Souter Group is going to make her pay for her sins. — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 15 July 2026 Dominguez told examining physicians that a shadowy figure pointed and made a laughing gesture before the attack. — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026 The act behind the most bewildering ambient techno of the past 15 years is not a shadowy syndicate or group of evil geniuses. — Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for shadowy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shadowy
  1. vague
  2. shady
  3. faint
  4. shaded
  5. hazy
Adjective
  • But the recall list was vague, not providing consumers with information on where the lettuce was sold or how consumers could avoid it.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 23 July 2026
  • Recently, the Montgomery County, Maryland, school district made local headlines after officials required administrators to review student newspapers prior to publication and outright censor certain reports based on vague standards.
    — Annabelle Garland, The Atlantic, 23 July 2026
Definition of vague
Adjective
  • Keep the cuttings in a shady site and mist several times a day to have plants ready for containers or other flower beds in about a month.
    — Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 July 2026
  • These shady sites are great nap spots for rattlesnakes, which are common to the area.
    — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
Definition of shady
Adjective
  • By adding together the images taken on a single spot, fainter objects become visible.
    — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 24 July 2026
  • The beautiful double star Albireo — one bright yellow and the other a fainter blue — sits at the beak of Cygnus, the Swan.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 24 July 2026
Definition of faint
Adjective
  • Residents, tribal leaders and advocates say the shaded, overgrown site is a vital urban refuge and cultural landscape, suing Pasadena over tree removal, excavation and potential harm to ancestral remains.
    — Mack Baysinger Follow, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2026
  • Martinez recommends looking for these products if your fence is in a consistently humid or shaded area.
    — Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 26 July 2026
Definition of shaded
Adjective
  • Then we’re yanked into Louis’s hazy POV, from which Armand is reading another one of his apology letters.
    — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 20 July 2026
  • Under a red condition, the sky can look hazy and smoky, visibility drops and the air may smell like smoke.
    — Kristi Miller, Twin Cities, 19 July 2026
Definition of hazy

Browse Nearby Words

shadows
shadowy
shady
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shadowy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shadowy. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on shadowy

Nglish: Translation of shadowy for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of parochial

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All