Shadow — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb adjective /ˈsha-(ˌ)dō/ shad·ow

Meaning & Definition of Shadow

Shadow (noun)

  1. the dark figure cast upon a surface by a body intercepting the rays from a source of light
  2. partial darkness or obscurity within a part of space from which rays from a source of light are cut off by an interposed opaque body
  3. a small degree or portion, trace

Shadow (verb)

  1. to cast a shadow upon, cloud
  2. to follow especially secretly, trail
  3. to accompany and observe especially in a professional setting

Shadow (adjective)

  1. of, relating to, or resembling a shadow cabinet
  2. having an indistinct pattern
  3. having darker sections of design

Shadow (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. partial darkness due to the obstruction of light rays

    "the valley was in shadow"

    similar: dusk, penumbra, shade, shadiness, umbra
    related: blackness, dimness, duskiness, gloom, gloominess, murkiness, obscurity, semidarkness, somberness, cloudiness
    near: brightness, brilliance, effulgence, illumination, incandescence, light, lightness, lucidity, lucidness, luminance, luminosity, luminousness, radiance, radiancy

  2. a time or place of little or no light

    "lurking in the shadows"

    similar: black, blackness, candlelight, dark, darkness, dusk, gloaming, gloom, murk, night, semidarkness, shade, twilight, umbra
    related: midnight, blackout, brownout, dimout, shadiness, umbrage, dullness, somberness, cloudiness, fogginess, haziness, mistiness, murkiness, dimness, faintness, gloominess, grayness, paleness, half-light
    opposite: blaze, brightness, brilliance, day, daylight, glare, glow, light, lightness
    near: moonlight, starlight, sunlight, effulgence, radiance, radiancy, shine, sunshine, incandescence, luminance, luminescence, luminosity, luminousness

  3. a tiny often physical indication of something lost or vanished

    "a run-down mansion that is only a shadow of its former glory"

    similar: echo, ghost, relic, trace, vestige
    related: memento, remembrance, reminder, artifact, afterimage, aftertaste, balance, corpse, hangover, leftover, oddment, remainder, remnant, scrap, dreg(s), leavings, remain(s), residual, residue, rest

  4. a very small amount

    "not even a shadow of a doubt about the defendant's guilt"

    similar: ace, bit, crumb, dab, dram, driblet, glimmer, hint, lick, little, mite, nip, ounce, particle, peanuts, ray, scintilla, scruple, shade, shred, skosh, smack, smell, smidgen, snap, soupçon, spark, spatter, speck, splash, spot, sprinkling, strain, streak, suspicion, tad, touch, trace, drop in the bucket
    related: hoot, iota, jot, minim, minimum, modicum, semblance, syllable, tittle, vestige, whit, atom, dot, fleck, flyspeck, grain, granule, molecule, morsel, mote, nubbin, patch, scrap, dash, drop, pinch, part, portion, section, bite, nibble, taste, handful, scattering, smatter, smattering, dose, shot, chip, flake, fragment, shard, shiver, sliver, smithereens, splinter, tatter, clipping, paring, shaving
    near: abundance, barrel, boatload, bucket, bundle, bushel, deal, fistful, gobs, heaps, lashings (chiefly British), loads, lot, mass, mess, mountain, much, oodles, passel, peck, pile, plenty, potful, profusion, quantity, raft, reams, scads, stack, wad, wealth, volume, bonanza, embarrassment, excess, overabundance, overage, overflow, overkill, overmuch, oversupply, superabundance, superfluity, surfeit, surplus, chunk, hunk, lump, slab

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

    "rumors of a shadow haunting the castle"

    similar: apparition, bogey, familiar spirit, ghost, hant (dialect), haunt (chiefly dialect), materialization, phantasm, phantom, poltergeist, shade, specter, spirit, spook, sprite, vision, visitant, wraith
    related: angel, daimon, familiar, genie, genius, jinni, shaitan, double, doppelgänger, fetch, lemures, manes, incubus, lamia, succubus, vampire, zombie, cacodemon, demon, devil, fiend, ghoul, imp

  6. an overspreading element that produces an atmosphere of gloom

    "the husband's adulterous affair had cast over their marriage a shadow from which there was no escape"

    similar: cloud, darkness, pall
    related: fog, haze, mist, murk, penumbra, umbra, midnight, night, mantle, shroud, veil

Shadow (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to go after or on the track of

    "shadowing the suspect to see what he was up to"

    similar: bird-dog, chase, course, dog, follow, hound, pursue, run, tag, tail, trace, track, trail, run after
    related: accompany, chaperone, escort, hunt, search (for), seek, eye, observe, watch
    opposite: guide, lead, pilot
    near: head

  2. to make dark, dim, or indistinct

    "thickening clouds shadowed the countryside"

    similar: becloud, bedim, befog, blacken, blear, blur, cloud, darken, dim, dislimn, fog, fuzz (up), haze, mist, obscure, overcast, overcloud, overshadow, shroud
    related: adumbrate, blot out, conceal, eclipse, hide, obliterate, screen, shade, camouflage, cloak, cover, curtain, disguise, mask, veil
    opposite: brighten, illuminate, illumine, light (up), lighten
    near: expose, reveal, uncover, unveil

  3. to shelter (something) from light and heat

    "a pathway shadowed by a canopy of arching branches"

    similar: shade
    related: cloud, darken, dim, dull, overcast, overshadow, canopy, cover, protect, screen
    near: illuminate, light, lighten, expose

Related Entry: Eye shadow (noun)

Eye shadow is a different word from Shadow. The synonyms below are for eye shadow, not for shadow.

  1. as in cream, oil

    similar: blush, cold cream, cream, kohl, lipstick, lotion, mascara, oil, powder, rouge, vanishing cream, cosmetics, makeup, maquillage, paint, war paint, greasepaint, camo, camouflage

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Shadow

The most common words with a similar meaning to Shadow:

Dialect: hant
Chiefly dialect: haunt
dusk, penumbra, shade, shadiness, umbra, black, blackness, candlelight, dark, darkness, gloaming, gloom, murk, night, semidarkness, twilight, echo, ghost, relic, trace, vestige, ace, bit, crumb, dab, dram, driblet, glimmer, hint, lick, little, mite, nip, ounce, particle, peanuts, ray, scintilla, scruple, shred

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Shadow

Words with the opposite meaning of Shadow:

blaze, brightness, brilliance, day, daylight, glare, glow, light, lightness, guide, lead, pilot, brighten, illuminate, illumine, light (up), lighten

Related Words for Shadow

dimness, duskiness, gloominess, murkiness, obscurity, somberness, cloudiness, midnight, blackout, brownout, dimout, umbrage, dullness, fogginess, haziness, mistiness, faintness, grayness, paleness, half-light, memento, remembrance, reminder, artifact, afterimage, aftertaste, balance, corpse, hangover, leftover

Near Antonyms of Shadow

effulgence, illumination, incandescence, lucidity, lucidness, luminance, luminosity, luminousness, radiance, radiancy, moonlight, starlight, sunlight, shine, sunshine, luminescence, abundance, barrel, boatload, bucket, bundle, bushel, deal, fistful, gobs, heaps, lashings, loads, lot, mass

Word Forms of Shadow

Inflections: shadowed, shadowing, shadows

Derived words: shadowless (adjective), shadowlike (adjective), shadower (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Shadow

Middle English shadwe, from Old English sceaduw-, sceadu shade

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Shadow

Words & Phrases Containing Shadow

shadow ban, shadow box, shadow cabinet, shadow dance, shadow mask, shadow play, eye shadow

Frequently Asked Questions about Shadow

What does "Shadow" mean?

"Shadow" means the dark figure cast upon a surface by a body intercepting the rays from a source of light. As an a noun, a verb and an adjective, it is defined as: the dark figure cast upon a surface by a body intercepting the rays from a source of light. It has 9 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Shadow"?

Other words for "Shadow" include dusk, penumbra, shade, shadiness, umbra, black, blackness and candlelight. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Shadow" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Shadow"?

There are 245 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Shadow". Common alternatives include dusk, penumbra, shade, shadiness, umbra, black, blackness, candlelight, dark and darkness.

What is the opposite of "Shadow"?

Antonyms of "Shadow" include blaze, brightness, brilliance, day, daylight, glare, glow and light. Near antonyms include effulgence, illumination, incandescence and lucidity.

How do you use "Shadow" in a sentence?

Examples of "Shadow" in a sentence: "the valley was in shadow"; "lurking in the shadows"; "a run-down mansion that is only a shadow of its former glory".

Is "Shadow" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Shadow" can be used as a noun, a verb and an adjective, depending on the context.

Is "Shadow" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Shadow" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Shadow"?

"Shadow" is pronounced /ˈsha-(ˌ)dō/ and divided into syllables as shad·ow.