Shady — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

Shady (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

1. protected from the sun's rays

   "a lovely shady spot in the park that was pleasantly cool"

   similar: shaded, shadowed, shadowy, umbrageous
   related: canopied, covered, sheltered, cloudy, dark, darkened, darkish, darkling, darksome, dim, dimmed, dusky, gloomy, inky, moonless, murky, obscure, obscured, penumbral, pitch-black, pitch-dark, somber, sunless
   opposite: exposed, shadeless, sunny
   near: bedazzling, bright, brightened, brilliant, dazzling, effulgent, illuminated, illumined, incandescent, light, lit, lucent, lucid, luminary, luminous, beaming, lambent, radiant, shining, lustrous

2. given to or marked by cheating and deception

   "a shady business deal"

   similar: bent (chiefly British), crooked, deceptive, dishonest, double-dealing, duplicitous, fast, fraudulent, guileful, rogue, sharp, shifty, underhand, underhanded
   related: unconscionable, unethical, unprincipled, unscrupulous, deceitful, deceiving, deluding, delusive, delusory, false, artful, beguiling, cagey, crafty, cunning, foxy, slick, sly, subtle, wily, defrauding, devious, furtive, slippery, sneaking, sneaky, trickish, tricky, insidious, perfidious, treacherous
   opposite: aboveboard, honest, straight
   near: conscientious, decent, ethical, honorable, just, scrupulous, upright, forthright, straightforward

3. giving good reason for being doubted, questioned, or challenged

   "cited some shady statistics to back up his argument"

   similar: debatable, disputable, dodgy (chiefly British), doubtable, doubtful, dubious, dubitable, equivocal, fishy, problematic, queer, questionable, shaky, suspect, suspicious
   related: alleged, so-called, supposed, moot, ambiguous, open, unclear, uncertain, undecided, undetermined, far-fetched, flimsy, improbable, unlikely, weak
   opposite: certain, hands-down, incontestable, indisputable, indubitable, questionless, sure, undeniable, undoubted, unproblematic, unquestionable
   near: decisive, definitive, clear, obvious, open-and-shut, positive

4. given to acting in secret and to concealing one's intentions

   "shady characters hanging out in the park after nightfall"

   similar: furtive, shifty, slippery, sly, sneaking, sneaky, stealthy
   related: artful, crafty, cunning, devious, foxy, guileful, slick, wily, close, closemouthed, reticent, secretive, clandestine, covert, dark, deceitful, deceiving, deceptive, duplicitous, trickish, tricky, underhand, underhanded, cheating, crooked, defrauding, dishonest, dissembling, double-dealing, knavish, two-faced, lying, mendacious, untrustworthy, untruthful, insidious, perfidious, serpentine, treacherous
   near: aboveboard, forthright, plainspoken, straightforward, candid, direct, foursquare, frank, open, plain, honest, trustworthy, truthful

5. not respectable

   "a courtesan who lived on the shady fringe of society"

   similar: discreditable, disgraceful, dishonorable, disreputable, ignominious, infamous, louche, notorious, opprobrious, shameful, shoddy, shy, unrespectable
   related: bad, criminal, immoral, seamy, sordid, unethical, unsavory, wicked, base, contemptible, despicable, detestable, dirty, low, mean, miserable, vile, wretched, evil, iniquitous, nefarious, rotten, sinful, unrighteous, vicious, villainous, wrong, blamable, blameworthy, censurable, inglorious, reprehensible, corrupt, debased, debauched, degenerate, depraved, dissolute, gamy, libertine, loose, perverted, reprobate
   opposite: honorable, reputable, respectable
   near: decent, ethical, good, honest, just, moral, noble, principled, righteous, upright, upstanding, esteemed, prestigious, reputed, respected, authorized, legal, licensed, permissible, permitted, approved, endorsed, sanctioned, clean, correct, decorous, exemplary, proper, seemly, blameless, commendable, creditable, guiltless