shadow

1 of 3

noun

shad·ow ˈsha-(ˌ)dō

: the dark figure cast upon a surface by a body intercepting the rays from a source of light

: 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

: a small degree or portion : trace

: an attenuated form or a vestigial remnant

: an inseparable companion or follower

: one (such as a spy or detective) who shadows someone

: an area near an object : vicinity

: pervasive and dominant influence

: a shaded or darker portion of a picture

: a reflected image

: shelter from danger or observation

: an imperfect and faint representation

: an imitation of something : copy

: phantom

shadows plural : dark sense 1a

: a source of gloom or unhappiness

: a state of ignominy or obscurity

shadowless

ˈsha-dō-ləs

-də-ləs

adjective

shadowlike

ˈsha-dō-ˌlīk

-də-ˌlīk

adjective

shadow

2 of 3

verb

shadowed; shadowing; shadows

transitive verb

: to cast a shadow upon : cloud

: to follow especially secretly : trail

: to accompany and observe especially in a professional setting

: to represent or indicate obscurely or faintly

—often used with forth or out

archaic : shelter, protect

archaic : shade sense 5

obsolete : to shelter from the sun

obsolete : conceal

intransitive verb

: to pass gradually or by degrees

: to become overcast with or as if with shadows

shadower

ˈsha-dō-ər

-də-wər

noun

shadow

3 of 3

adjective

: of, relating to, or resembling a shadow cabinet

shadow minister of defense

: having an indistinct pattern

shadow plaid

: 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.