Wiktionary

shady

See also: Shady

English

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Etymology

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From shade +‎ -y. Compare Saterland Frisian skaadich, skaddich (“shady”), German schattig (“shady”).

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈʃeɪdi/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -eɪdi

Adjective

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shady (comparative shadier, superlative shadiest)

  1. Abounding in shades.
  2. Causing shade.
  3. Overspread with shade; sheltered from the glare of light or sultry heat.
    • 1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Building”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC:
      you may have rooms both for summer and winter; shady for summer, and warm for winter
    • 2020 September 5, Jane Greenway Carr, “How we spent our summer not-vacations”, in CNN‎[1]:
      I know the shadiest breeziest spots, hidden tables surrounded by trees that have lived longer than the neighborhoods around them.
  4. (informal) Not trustworthy; disreputable.
    Synonyms: corrupt, dodgy, dubious, equivocal, seedy, sketchy, suspicious
    He is a shady character.
    • 1991, “Blue Lines”, in Blue Lines, performed by Massive Attack:
      No sunshine in my life, the way I deal is shady
    • 2009 May 22, Stuart Heritage, “Jon & Kate Latest: People You Don’t Know Do Crap You Don’t Care About”, in Hecklerspray‎[2], archived from the original on 2024-04-15:
      Jon & Kate Plus 8 is a show based on two facts: 1) Jon and Kate Gosselin have eight children, and 2) the word ‘Kate’ rhymes with the word ‘eight’. One suspects that if Kate were ever to have another child, a shady network executive would urge her to put it in a binbag with a brick and drop it down a well. But this is just a horrifying tangent.
    • 2018 November 29, Lisa Respers France, “Mariah Carey’s legendary Jennifer Lopez shade was her ‘trying to be nice’”, in CNN‎[3]:
      People on the internet seemingly can’t get enough of the whole thing. The Guardian named it “pop’s shadiest power move.”
    • 2022 September 13, Chris Hodges, “The Untold Truth Of The Sing Franchise”, in Looper‎[4]:
      However, when Buster's character was still being developed, he was indeed a much shadier and less lovable character.
  5. (UK, slang) Mean, cruel.
    • 2006 May 24, Saucy Jack, “BB7: Did Shabazz just deserve that?”, in uk.media.tv.misc‎[5] (Usenet):
      They were being proper shady to him. Even if you don't like someone, locking them out, stealing their clothes and ganging up on them to take the piss is just childish.
    • 2007, Grace Dent, Diary of a Chav 2: Slinging the Bling:
      I didn't even ask her to be in the 'Increase the Peace' campaign, which was well shady, 'cos if anyone knows anything about rudes and violence and getting dragged into stuff it's Uma.
    • 2007, Chastity Danielle Infinity, Jamo Lorswal, A Rose So That It May Rain, page 155:
      "Don't be shady," she said, "You know I always pay up."

Derived terms

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Translations

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Anagrams

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