shade
noun
\ ˈshād
\
\
Definition of shade
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: comparative darkness or obscurity owing to interception of the rays of light
b
: relative obscurity or retirement
2a
: shelter (as by foliage) from the heat and glare of sunlight
b
: a place sheltered from the sun
3
: an evanescent or unreal appearance
5a
: a disembodied spirit : ghost
b
—used to signal the similarity between a previously encountered person or situation and one at hand —usually used in plural shades of my childhood
6
: something that intercepts or shelters from light, sun, or heat: such as
a
: a device partially covering a lamp so as to reduce glare
b
: a flexible screen usually mounted on a roller for regulating the light or the view through a window
7a
: the reproduction of the effect of shade in painting or drawing
b
: a subdued or somber feature
8a
: a color produced by a pigment or dye mixture having some black in it
b
: a color slightly different from the one under consideration
9a
: a minute difference or variation : nuance
b
: a minute degree or quantity
10
: a facial expression of sadness or displeasure
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
shade
verb
shaded;
shading
Definition of shade (Entry 2 of 2)
1a
: to shelter or screen by intercepting radiated light or heat
b
: to cover with a shade
2
: to hide partly by or as if by a shadow
3
: to darken with or as if with a shadow
4
: to better or exceed by a shade
5a
: to represent the effect of shade or shadow on
b
: to add shading to
c
: to color so that the shades pass gradually from one to another
6
: to change by gradual transition or qualification
7
: to reduce slightly
shade a price
1
: to pass by slight changes or imperceptible degrees
2
: to undergo or exhibit minute difference or variation
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Other Words from shade
Noun
shadeless
\ ˈshād-ləs
\
adjective
\
adjective
Verb
shader
noun
Synonyms for shade
Synonyms: Noun
dusk, penumbra, shadiness, shadow, umbra
Synonyms: Verb
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Examples of shade in a Sentence
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.
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
That even includes a declining number of tomatoes, coaxed along by shading plants (Weathertop Farm in Forestburg) and using greenhouses (D-Bar Farm in Ponder). — Kim Pierce, Dallas News, "Find spicy Hatch chile snacks, peak okra and other summer farm goods in Coppell," 27 Aug. 2019 The scoreboard had partially melted, the trees that once shaded the stadium from the sun were thinned. — Elliott Almond, The Mercury News, "Rebirth in Paradise: How high school football is making it feel ‘like before the fire’," 24 Aug. 2019 Biased or motivated reasoning can easily shade into pseudoscience. — Rachel Poser, Harper's magazine, "Common Ground," 19 Aug. 2019 These prehistoric trees would not have looked like the woody, branched plants that shade our modern landscape, instead growing as simple, straight stalks. — Deming Wang, National Geographic, "Bizarre fossils reveal Asia’s oldest known forest," 8 Aug. 2019 The quarry last operated at the turn of the 20th century, and today, it is shaded with a lush canopy of indigenous ash, oak and holly trees. — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, "Would You Like to Buy an Extinct Volcano?," 2 Aug. 2019 More trees means fires are less likely, but regular fire removes vegetation that shades ground layer plants. — Caroline Lehmann, Quartz Africa, "When tree planting actually damages ecosystems," 28 July 2019 And just a few years ago, the reigning Instagram aesthetic involved heavy makeup and contouring, a technique popularized by Kim Kardashian West that uses shading to create the impression of sharper cheekbones and more angular features. — Sarah Todd, Quartzy, "Why getting dewy skin became a global obsession," 24 July 2019 The veil-like facades form a screen that shades palazzo porches from the hot summer sun. — Blair Kamin, chicagotribune.com, "Column: Back from Venice, with a fresh take on Chicago’s Venetian Gothic dazzler at 12 S. Michigan," 12 July 2019These 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.