shady

/ˈʃeɪdi/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈʃeɪdi/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈshā-dē/ (ame, mw)

shady — adjective

  • shadypositive
  • shadiercomparative
  • shadiestsuperlative

1. describing a place that stays cool or is protected from the sun's brightness bec

1.形容詞A2
釋義

describing a place that stays cool or is protected from the sun's brightness because something such as a tree, a building, or an awning blocks the light overhead

例句

Theo found a shady spot under an old oak tree and took a short nap.

shady + spot

The café has a small shady courtyard where customers sit during hot summer afternoons.

同義詞
  • shaded

    focuses on the result (the area has shade cast on it) rather than the quality of providing shade

  • sheltered

    broader — means protected from wind and rain too, not just sun

  • cool

    describes the temperature feeling, not the cause; a cool spot may be indoors

反義詞
  • sunny

    the opposite condition — full of direct sunlight

  • exposed

    not protected from the sun or weather

常見錯誤

❌We sat under a shadowy tree.
✅We sat under a shady tree.
💡'shadowy' means dark and hard to see; 'shady' means the area is protected from direct sun.

2. appearing dishonest, illegal, or morally wrong in a way that makes you feel dist

2.形容詞B2
釋義

appearing dishonest, illegal, or morally wrong in a way that makes you feel distrust or suspicion — for example, a deal that seems to hide unfair terms, or a person whose behaviour makes you uneasy

例句

Clara refused to invest in the project because the company's finances looked shady.

look shady / seem shady (predicative use in informal English)

The landlord asked Farid to pay in cash and gave no receipt, which seemed shady.

同義詞
  • dishonest

    more direct and formal; 'shady' suggests suspicion without proof, while 'dishonest' states a clear moral judgment

  • suspicious

    focuses on the feeling of distrust that something causes, not the thing's own quality

  • fishy

    very informal; suggests something does not feel right in a lighthearted way

  • questionable

    milder than 'shady' — leaves room for uncertainty rather than assuming wrongdoing

反義詞
  • honest

    direct opposite — truthful and morally upright

  • aboveboard

    completely open and legitimate, with nothing hidden

  • legitimate

    lawful and acceptable according to rules or standards

用法筆記

Usually placed before a noun (a shady deal, shady business practices). In informal spoken English, it can also appear after a linking verb (That sounds shady; The whole thing feels shady). Sense 2 is the only sense that takes this predicative position in casual use.

常見錯誤

❌I felt shady about his offer.
✅His offer seemed shady to me.
💡'shady' describes the thing that seems dishonest, not how you feel inside.