1
a
: comparative darkness or obscurity owing to interception of the rays of light
b
: relative obscurity or retirement
2
a
: shelter (as by foliage) from the heat and glare of sunlight
b
: a place sheltered from the sun
3
: an evanescent or unreal appearance
4
5
a
: 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
c
7
a
: the reproduction of the effect of shade in painting or drawing
b
: a subdued or somber feature
8
a
: a color produced by a pigment or dye mixture having some black in it
b
: a color slightly different from the one under consideration
9
a
: a minute difference or variation : nuance
b
: a minute degree or quantity
10
: a facial expression of sadness or displeasure
shaded; shading
1
a
: 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
5
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
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
Sam MarloweSynonyms
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 WebBrigitt Earley, Glamour, 24 Apr. 2024
The foundation comes in 50 shades and promises a natural, waterproof finish.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 23 Apr. 2024
This shade will adorn a host of Thermaltake products (limited-run models for the year) that will complement one another.
—PCMAG, 21 Apr. 2024
People want much sleeker and slimmer styles in pastel shades.
—Anne D'innocenzio, Fortune Europe, 17 Apr. 2024
Blackout shades in a bedroom or light-filtering curtains for a living room can add functionality.
—Ronita Choudhuri-Wade Of Nerdwallet, Quartz, 17 Apr. 2024
Chocolate brown hit the runways and effortlessly made its way into home interiors this year—and according to Behr Paint Company, the warm shade deserves some recognition on the exterior, too.
—Christianna Silva, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Apr. 2024
At one point, Medvedev hit and shook the shade cover on his chair in anger.
—Matias Grez, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024
Grab it in one of 10 shades or customize your mug with a personalized engraving.
—Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024
Alyssa Johnson, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2024
View matching name-brand paint shades on your smartphone and browse sRBG HEX, CMYK, and LAB color codes.
—Stack Commerce, Popular Science, 18 Apr. 2024
Plus the height difference means okra can shade the vines from the full afternoon sun.
—Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 17 Apr. 2024
The group's clones shade the streets of Seattle and Eugene, Oregon.
—Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 2024
Plants are organized by category and include varieties of sun to shade, groundcovers, hostas, mums, sedums, and peonies.
—Journal Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2024
When skeletal remains surfaced in Bellaghy bog in 2023, the discovery was shaded with a discomforting question: Was this an archaeological site, or a crime scene?
—Ed O’Loughlin, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2024
CoCo Key Hotel and Water Resort A water park that's largely shaded from Florida's plentiful and sometimes punishing sunshine — now there's a great idea!
—Terry Ward, Travel + Leisure, 1 Apr. 2024
Places within the line of totality are shaded in the darkest shade of red.
—Anna Gordon, TIME, 30 Mar. 2024
Noun
Testers love how fine and light the powder is, plus the fact that there are four shades to choose from.
—Brigitt Earley, Glamour, 24 Apr. 2024
The foundation comes in 50 shades and promises a natural, waterproof finish.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 23 Apr. 2024
This shade will adorn a host of Thermaltake products (limited-run models for the year) that will complement one another.
—PCMAG, 21 Apr. 2024
People want much sleeker and slimmer styles in pastel shades.
—Anne D'innocenzio, Fortune Europe, 17 Apr. 2024
Blackout shades in a bedroom or light-filtering curtains for a living room can add functionality.
—Ronita Choudhuri-Wade Of Nerdwallet, Quartz, 17 Apr. 2024
Chocolate brown hit the runways and effortlessly made its way into home interiors this year—and according to Behr Paint Company, the warm shade deserves some recognition on the exterior, too.
—Christianna Silva, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Apr. 2024
At one point, Medvedev hit and shook the shade cover on his chair in anger.
—Matias Grez, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024
Grab it in one of 10 shades or customize your mug with a personalized engraving.
—Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024
Verb
Energy bills are so high residents of Miami Gardens circulated a petition asking the government to intervene, said resident Jonathan Knowles, who thinks the problem could be addressed by planting more trees to shade residents’ houses from the relentless sun.
—Alyssa Johnson, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2024
View matching name-brand paint shades on your smartphone and browse sRBG HEX, CMYK, and LAB color codes.
—Stack Commerce, Popular Science, 18 Apr. 2024
Plus the height difference means okra can shade the vines from the full afternoon sun.
—Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 17 Apr. 2024
The group's clones shade the streets of Seattle and Eugene, Oregon.
—Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 2024
Plants are organized by category and include varieties of sun to shade, groundcovers, hostas, mums, sedums, and peonies.
—Journal Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2024
When skeletal remains surfaced in Bellaghy bog in 2023, the discovery was shaded with a discomforting question: Was this an archaeological site, or a crime scene?
—Ed O’Loughlin, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2024
CoCo Key Hotel and Water Resort A water park that's largely shaded from Florida's plentiful and sometimes punishing sunshine — now there's a great idea!
—Terry Ward, Travel + Leisure, 1 Apr. 2024
Places within the line of totality are shaded in the darkest shade of red.
—Anna Gordon, TIME, 30 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shade.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near shade
Cite this Entry
“Shade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shade. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shade
1 of 2 noun1
: partial darkness
the trees cast shade
2
: space sheltered from the heat and bright light of the sun
sit in the shade of a tree
3
plural
: the shadows that gather as darkness falls
the shades of night
5
: something that blocks off or cuts down light, sun, or heat
a lamp shade
a window shade
6
: the darkening of some objects in a painting or drawing to suggest that they are in shade
7
: the darkness or lightness of a color
four shades of brown
8
: a very small difference or amount
just a shade taller
shades of meaning
shade
2 of 2 verb
shaded; shading
1
: to shelter from light or heat
2
: to mark with changes of light or color
shade a drawing
3
: to show or begin to have slight differences of color, value, or meaning
shader
noun
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