shadow

1 of 3

noun

shad·​ow ˈsha-(ˌ)dō How to pronounce shadow (audio)
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
4
: an attenuated form or a vestigial remnant
5
a
: an inseparable companion or follower
b
: one (such as a spy or detective) who shadows someone
6
a
: an area near an object : vicinity
b
: pervasive and dominant influence
7
: a shaded or darker portion of a picture
8
: a reflected image
9
: shelter from danger or observation
10
a
: an imperfect and faint representation
b
: an imitation of something : copy
11
12
shadows plural : dark sense 1a
13
: a source of gloom or unhappiness
14
: a state of ignominy or obscurity
shadowless
ˈsha-dō-ləs How to pronounce shadow (audio)
-də-ləs
adjective
shadowlike
ˈsha-dō-ˌlīk How to pronounce shadow (audio)
-də-ˌlīk
adjective

shadow

2 of 3

verb

shadowed; shadowing; shadows

transitive verb

1
: to cast a shadow upon : cloud
2
a
: to follow especially secretly : trail
b
: to accompany and observe especially in a professional setting
3
: to represent or indicate obscurely or faintly
often used with forth or out
4
archaic : shelter, protect
5
archaic : shade sense 5
6
obsolete : to shelter from the sun
7
obsolete : conceal

intransitive verb

1
: to pass gradually or by degrees
2
: to become overcast with or as if with shadows
shadower
ˈsha-dō-ər How to pronounce shadow (audio)
-də-wər
noun

shadow

3 of 3

adjective

1
: of, relating to, or resembling a shadow cabinet
shadow minister of defense
2
a
: having an indistinct pattern
shadow plaid
b
: having darker sections of design
shadow lace

Example Sentences

Noun The tree cast a long shadow across the lawn. You can see your own shadow on a sunny day. Part of the valley was in shadow. He saw something moving in the shadows. I sensed a shadow of disappointment in his expression. Verb Police shadowed the suspect for several days. She spent the night shadowing other waiters at the restaurant. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
But Antetokounmpo is the kind of player Mobley is striving to become -- and the comparisons between the two have followed him like a shadow since his college days. Chris Fedor, cleveland, 26 Nov. 2022 Lionel Messi has spent his career trying to dribble out from under Diego Maradona’s sizable shadow. Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 26 Nov. 2022 Auburn resides in Alabama’s shadow, but Kiffin is a magnet for the spotlight. Blake Toppmeyer, USA TODAY, 23 Nov. 2022 Her full lips are lacquered in a deep blackberry hue, and her eyes are dramatically highlighted in dark shadow. Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 22 Nov. 2022 Bogotá today remains a city built in Salmona’s shadow, a vast expanse of brick spreading outward from the high green wall of the Andes that bounds the metropolis to the east, like a rust red lava field eroded by the city’s frequent rain. Michael Snyder Rafael Gamo, New York Times, 22 Nov. 2022 The Shakespearan machinations follow a tumultuous three years for Chapek, who never quite emerged from Iger’s shadow and presided over a dramatic decline in the company’s stock price. Jacob Carpenter, Fortune, 21 Nov. 2022 When Orion reemerged from the lunar shadow, all was well, and the spacecraft was positioned to reach its temporary destination—a distant retrograde orbit around the Moon. Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 21 Nov. 2022 Hammerstein Ballroom cemented their status as an adventurous live act carving a far different niche outside of Radiohead’s enormous shadow. William Earl, Variety, 21 Nov. 2022
Verb
Light and shadow conspire on her cheeks, suggesting greater bone structure. Brennan Kilbane, Allure, 3 Oct. 2022 But Morgan also referenced paintings from artists like Rembrandt and Caravaggio, specifically studying their use of light and shadow to create images that feel three-dimensional and full of motion. Leah Asmelash, CNN, 21 Sep. 2022 Ask questions, shadow them for a day or request feedback about how your work can (even more) positively affect their work. Expand your contribution. Tracy Brower, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2021 Apple is following through on its pledge to crack down on Facebook and other snoopy apps that secretly shadow people on their iPhones in order to target more advertising at users. NBC News, 27 Apr. 2021 Apple is following through on its pledge to crack down on Facebook and other snoopy apps that secretly shadow people on their iPhones in order to target more advertising at users. Michael Liedtke, Anchorage Daily News, 26 Apr. 2021 Reach for a softer black kohl pencil rather than a skinny black liner and use your finger or shadow brush to blend it out. Lindy Segal, Harper's BAZAAR, 30 Sep. 2022 This is a film that moves a lot in dualities, between light and shadow, the upper class and the lower class, and which somehow presents the two sides of the same coin. John Hopewell, Variety, 17 Sep. 2022 If there isn’t an official way to get support, ask your manager to recommend a person for you to shadow. Sheryl Stillman, Wired, 28 Nov. 2021
Adjective
The sooner, the better, as this transit has a pre-shadow period starting before the retrograde itself hits. Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Nov. 2021 The sooner, the better as this transit has a pre-shadow period starting before the retrograde itself hits. Meghan Ros, Glamour, 1 Sep. 2021 See More

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 4

Adjective

1906, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shadow was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near shadow

Cite this Entry

“Shadow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shadow. Accessed 7 Dec. 2022.

Kids Definition

shadow

1 of 2 noun
shad·​ow ˈshad-ō How to pronounce shadow (audio)
1
: shade within certain bounds
the valley was in shadow
2
: a reflected image (as in a mirror)
3
: shelter from danger or view
4
a
: an imperfect and faint representation
b
: an imitation of something
5
: the dark figure cast on a surface by a body that is between the surface and the light
my shadow stays with me
6
7
plural : darkness caused by the setting of the sun
twilight shadows
8
: a shaded part of a picture
9
: a form from which the substance has departed : remnant, vestige
10
a
: an inseparable companion or follower
b
: a person who shadows as a spy or detective
11
: a very little bit : trace
not a shadow of a doubt
12
: a source of gloom or unhappiness
shadowless adjective
shadowlike adjective

shadow

2 of 2 verb
1
: to cast a shadow on
2
: to follow especially secretly : trail
shadower noun

Medical Definition

shadow

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: 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
b
: a dark outline or image on an X-ray photograph where the X-rays have been blocked by a radiopaque mass (as a tumor)
2
: a colorless or slightly pigmented or stained body (as a degenerate cell or empty membrane) only faintly visible under the microscope

shadow

2 of 2 transitive verb
: to perform shadow-casting on
freeze-dried and shadowed myosin molecules

More from Merriam-Webster on shadow

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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