1
as in shaded
protected from the sun's rays
a lovely shady spot in the park that was pleasantly cool
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deceptive
given to or marked by cheating and deception
a shady business deal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in questionable
giving good reason for being doubted, questioned, or challenged
cited some shady statistics to back up his argument
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in shifty
given to acting in secret and to concealing one's intentions
shady characters hanging out in the park after nightfall
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in notorious
not respectable
a courtesan who lived on the shady fringe of society
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shady
Season 2’s closing episode ends with Quinn officially taking the reins of her father Frank’s (John Noble) shady business dealing in organized crime.
—
Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2026
The dead are as shady as any Fashion Week PR girl.
—Literary Hub, 10 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, Wagner uses his corrupt politician father’s connections to stage a meeting for him and Morgan with Willa Quinn (Jennifer Jason Leigh), the shady political fixer connected to the disappearance of Morgan’s ex, Roman, 15 years ago.
—Max Gao, Variety, 8 Apr. 2026
They get captured by Hungarian gangsters and have to fight (and kill) their way out of an inn run by a shady former dance prodigy (Uma Thurman).
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shady
Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2026
The dead are as shady as any Fashion Week PR girl.
—Literary Hub, 10 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, Wagner uses his corrupt politician father’s connections to stage a meeting for him and Morgan with Willa Quinn (Jennifer Jason Leigh), the shady political fixer connected to the disappearance of Morgan’s ex, Roman, 15 years ago.
—Max Gao, Variety, 8 Apr. 2026
They get captured by Hungarian gangsters and have to fight (and kill) their way out of an inn run by a shady former dance prodigy (Uma Thurman).
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shady
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shady
Adjective
-
There’s a shaded patio out there that just begs for long, slow lunch or brunch visits, or splitting a rib-eye steak Diane at night.—
Bud Kennedy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The grounds are just as stunning, and even on the hottest summer day guests feel at ease walking through the lush, shaded gardens planted nearly 100 years ago.—
Catherine Garcia,
TheWeek,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
There is a relaxing vibe about Hilton Head, and a lot of wedges in the hands of the best players, both of which can be deceptive.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Anything else amounts to a deceptive user experience that can discourage users from visiting unfamiliar pages in the future.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Jokic was listed as questionable with an injured right wrist, but entered the finale having played in 64 games.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Injury report As for Sunday’s regular-season finale, Nikola Jovic (ankle) and Dru Smith (foot) remain out, with Norman Powell (groin) upgraded to questionable after missing Friday night’s road loss to the Wizards.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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As a player who thrives on his shifty change of pace, Doncic’s quick start and stop motions put extra load on his hamstrings and put him at risk of reinjury.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
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Zack James’ shifty drumming hammers out a drum ’n’ bass redux like a panicked heartbeat while Carney Hemler’s bass lurches in slow motion, replicating the gut drop of a horrible realization.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Decades later, the director admitted much of the notorious shockumentary was staged, though audiences continue to believe some segments are authentic footage.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
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Most of the latest atrocities have been blamed on the RSF and their Janjaweed allies — Arab militias that were notorious for atrocities in the early 2000s against people identifying as East or Central African in Darfur.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The streets felt like a shadowy set.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Apr. 2026
-
As an author, Keefe has specialized in untangling shadowy networks, whether that’s the Provisional IRA or the Sackler family, whose role in the opioid crisis via their ownership of Purdue Pharma was the subject of his book Empire of Pain.—
Julian Sancton,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday that 29-year-old Autumn Bardisa, of Palm Coast, entered the guilty plea on Tuesday to unlicensed practice of healthcare and fraudulent use of identification.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
9 Apr. 2026
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But when a version in Farsi emerged indicating Iran would be allowed to continue enriching uranium — key to building a nuclear weapon — Trump called it fraudulent.—
Bassem Mroue,
Fortune,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But ousting Powell would be legally dubious, Dan Urman, director of the law and public policy minor at Northeastern University, told CBS News.—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Economists Mariana Mazzucato and Rosie Collington argue that consultants can, at best, give dubious guidance, and at worst, exacerbate government and private sector dysfunction.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shady.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shady. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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