Synonyms of shady

shady

adjective

ˈshā-dē 

1

as in shaded

protected from the sun's rays

a lovely shady spot in the park that was pleasantly cool

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shaded
• shadowy
• shadowed
• sheltered
• darkened
• umbrageous
• dark
• canopied
• dim
• murky
• covered
• dimmed
• somber
• dusky
• obscure
• cloudy
• gloomy
• darkish
• obscured
• darksome
• darkling
• moonless
• pitch-dark
• penumbral
• inky
• pitch-black
• sunless

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• sunny
• exposed
• brilliant
• light
• bright
• dazzling
• luminous
• illuminated
• shadeless
• shining
• lit
• lucid
• incandescent
• lucent
• effulgent
• illumined
• radiant
• luminary
• lambent
• lustrous
• bedazzling
• brightened
• beaming

2

as in deceptive

given to or marked by cheating and deception

a shady business deal

Synonyms & Similar Words

• deceptive
• fraudulent
• crooked
• dishonest
• shifty
• rogue
• underhanded
• duplicitous
• false
• fast
• underhand
• bent
• unscrupulous
• guileful
• artful
• sharp
• treacherous
• unethical
• double-dealing
• deceitful
• unprincipled
• subtle
• deceiving
• cunning
• unconscionable
• wily
• slippery
• sly
• slick
• sneaky
• crafty
• cagey
• devious
• delusive
• tricky
• insidious
• beguiling
• furtive
• foxy
• perfidious
• delusory
• deluding
• trickish
• sneaking
• defrauding

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• honest
• straight
• ethical
• honorable
• decent
• conscientious
• scrupulous
• upright
• just
• aboveboard
• straightforward
• forthright

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

• questionable
• dubious
• suspicious
• disputable
• problematic
• doubtful
• debatable
• suspect
• fishy
• shaky
• ambiguous
• dodgy
• queer
• alleged
• equivocal
• unclear
• dubitable
• doubtable
• unlikely
• weak
• uncertain
• supposed
• moot
• improbable
• so-called
• flimsy
• undetermined
• open
• undecided
• far-fetched

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• certain
• sure
• unquestionable
• indisputable
• unproblematic
• undeniable
• incontestable
• indubitable
• undoubted
• questionless
• decisive
• obvious
• positive
• definitive
• clear
• hands-down
• open-and-shut

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

• shifty
• dark
• sneaky
• slippery
• crooked
• sly
• furtive
• clandestine
• deceptive
• stealthy
• cheating
• secretive
• treacherous
• slick
• sneaking
• cunning
• close
• dishonest
• lying
• wily
• devious
• crafty
• covert
• artful
• deceitful
• duplicitous
• underhanded
• foxy
• guileful
• untrustworthy
• tricky
• deceiving
• underhand
• insidious
• reticent
• mendacious
• closemouthed
• perfidious
• untruthful
• serpentine
• trickish
• two-faced
• knavish
• double-dealing
• dissembling
• defrauding

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• straightforward
• forthright
• direct
• open
• plain
• frank
• candid
• aboveboard
• trustworthy
• honest
• plainspoken
• truthful
• foursquare

5

as in notorious

not respectable

a courtesan who lived on the shady fringe of society

Synonyms & Similar Words

• notorious
• infamous
• criminal
• immoral
• disreputable
• shameful
• disgraceful
• bad
• shoddy
• dishonorable
• discreditable
• ignominious
• shy
• opprobrious
• low
• dirty
• corrupt
• louche
• unethical
• sordid
• vile
• unsavory
• unrespectable
• wicked
• nefarious
• vicious
• seamy
• evil
• wrong
• rotten
• despicable
• miserable
• detestable
• villainous
• iniquitous
• contemptible
• sinful
• mean
• base
• reprehensible
• wretched
• inglorious
• perverted
• unrighteous
• depraved
• dissolute
• degenerate
• loose
• debauched
• blameworthy
• debased
• censurable
• libertine
• blamable
• gamy
• reprobate

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• reputable
• good
• honorable
• respectable
• ethical
• noble
• moral
• honest
• decent
• legal
• righteous
• upright
• just
• principled
• prestigious
• respected
• reputed
• permitted
• esteemed
• permissible
• authorized
• proper
• licensed
• upstanding
• correct
• clean
• endorsed
• approved
• exemplary
• decorous
• blameless
• creditable
• commendable
• sanctioned
• seemly
• guiltless

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of shady

Find a shady spot, hang a hammock, and give yourself permission to slow down for an hour. — Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 20 July 2026

The View cohost Ana Navarro just scored a shady goal at the Hot Topics table. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 20 July 2026

But the story about the war hero Odysseus, whose journey home with his men is beset by sea storms, shipwrecks, gods, monsters and shady ladies, set the template for literature, comic books, science fiction and Hollywood epics for centuries to come. — Jim Beckerman, USA Today, 16 July 2026

The trial became a sideshow of stories of double crosses, disagreements, and shady meetings. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 July 2026