adjective
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full of shadows; dark; shady
-
resembling a shadow in faintness; vague
-
illusory or imaginary
-
mysterious or secretive
a shadowy underworld figure
Other Word Forms
- shadowiness noun
Etymology
Origin of shadowy
First recorded in 1325–75, shadowy is from the Middle English word shadewy. See shadow, -y 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But those readers who have discovered “The Marble Faun,” his shadowy and mystic last novel, know a very different writer.
A shadowy movement caught the corner of my eye.
From Literature
In an angry rebuttal to the AFP report, the information minister said the news agency's allegations relied entirely on "shadowy, unnamed sources" and contradicted official statements issued by intelligence agencies and senior lawmakers.
From BBC
The sight of the moonlit barn, the shadowy oak, and the outline of Redhead Hill was a comfort.
From Literature
"These three men - and in particular Simon Spring - seem to be just living out their fantasies as enforcers of macho hard men who worked for shadowy organisations," said Roberts.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
