shade

1 of 2

noun

ˈshād

: comparative darkness or obscurity owing to interception of the rays of light

: relative obscurity or retirement

: shelter (as by foliage) from the heat and glare of sunlight

: a place sheltered from the sun

: an evanescent or unreal appearance

shades plural

: the shadows that gather as darkness comes on

: netherworld, hades

: a disembodied spirit : ghost

—used to signal the similarity between a previously encountered person or situation and one at hand

—usually used in plural

shades of my childhood

: something that intercepts or shelters from light, sun, or heat: such as

: a device partially covering a lamp so as to reduce glare

: a flexible screen usually mounted on a roller for regulating the light or the view through a window

shades plural : sunglasses

: the reproduction of the effect of shade in painting or drawing

: a subdued or somber feature

: a color produced by a pigment or dye mixture having some black in it

: a color slightly different from the one under consideration

: a minute difference or variation : nuance

: a minute degree or quantity

: a facial expression of sadness or displeasure

shadeless

ˈshād-ləs

adjective

shade

2 of 2

verb

shaded; shading

transitive verb

: to shelter or screen by intercepting radiated light or heat

: to cover with a shade

: to hide partly by or as if by a shadow

: to darken with or as if with a shadow

: to better or exceed by a shade

: to represent the effect of shade or shadow on

: to add shading to

: to color so that the shades pass gradually from one to another

: to change by gradual transition or qualification

: to reduce slightly

shade a price

: slant, bias

intransitive verb

: to pass by slight changes or imperceptible degrees

: to undergo or exhibit minute difference or variation

shader noun

Phrases

throw shade

US slang

: to express contempt or disrespect for someone publicly especially by subtle or indirect insults or criticisms

Christopher Oram's elegant set is a pillared palazzo; at cafe tables wasp-waisted women sip tiny cups of espresso and throw shade at their rivals from behind dark glasses …

Sam Marlowe

Example Sentences

Noun The buildings cast shade on the plaza. The tree provided plenty of shade. These plants grow well in shade. It was a hot sunny day, but luckily their seats for the game were in the shade. We sat in the shade of a willow tree. He used his hand as a shade as he looked out into the bright sunlight. a lamp with a broken shade She pulled down the shades. She was wearing a cool pair of shades. Verb Several large trees shade the house. She shaded the drawing to give it depth. The shaded part of the graph represents the amount of sales. The article shaded the truth by revealing only one side of the story. See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Vibrant and indulgent bites of mango tres leches cake eaten with an old friend in the shade at Gjusta.

Ifrah F. Ahmed, Vogue, 28 Nov. 2022 And there, in the shade of an oak tree, was the Swinford family cemetery.

Sarah Hume, The Courier-Journal, 28 Nov. 2022 Once they had been stacked in the shade of a tree for a couple of days to air, the bricks were spread out in the sun to bake for a month before being ready for use.

Nazih Osseiran, The Christian Science Monitor, 23 Nov. 2022 The Dolphins’ bench was sitting comfortably in the shade on the opposite side of the stadium.

Joshua Gunter, cleveland, 14 Nov. 2022 Crouched under the shade of a tree in a dusty valley alongside her sisters-in-arms in northern Iraq, Rezan clasps her AK-47 rifle, her faltering voice betraying a lingering fear of Iranian reprisals.

Nima Elbagir, CNN, 17 Oct. 2022 As deserts dry and forests dwindle, water and shade will become scarcer in many corners of the world.

Dino Grandoni, Anchorage Daily News, 17 Oct. 2022 The new shade is as creamy as platinum blonde can get.

Chelsea Avila, Allure, 24 Oct. 2022 But the label's signature shade was nowhere in sight this time around.

Fiona Sinclair Scott, CNN, 6 Oct. 2022

Verb

While the spot is great for making pretty pictures, the big show happens across the road where junipers shade the sign for the Secret Slickrock Trail.

Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 12 Nov. 2022 Anne Calvo and her husband Jose Calvo shade themselves under the tent.

Tyrone Beasonstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2022 Perfectly poised and polished, marching side-by-side with her brothers at the funeral on Monday, Princess Anne added one unique and feminine detail to honor her mother: a slick of red lipstick (the Queen's go-to shade) and a pair of pearl earrings.

Monique Jessen, Peoplemag, 21 Sep. 2022 An inclined roof on the feeder helps shade the birds from sun and rain, and three metal perches accommodate good-sized birds.

Renee Freemon Mulvihill, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Oct. 2022 Crisp mountain air fills our lungs as sweeping oak, beech and chestnut trees shade us from the rising sun.

Paul Feinstein, Robb Report, 4 Oct. 2022 Duane Rohrbacher recently moved into a two-story Craftsman house built in 1887 in French Park, one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods, where lush trees shade Victorian, English Tudor, Colonial Revival and Craftsman-style homes.

Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2022 The year is kicking off with what’s becoming a loose tradition: a documentary about a renowned ‘90s athlete that aims to shade in a more complete picture.

Joshua Rivera, The Verge, 23 Jan. 2021 The researchers’ genetic transformations help plants adjust more quickly to shade.

New York Times, 18 Aug. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shade.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.