# shadow

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈʃædəʊ/ · frequency rank #3,395

## Definitions
1. A dark image projected onto a surface where light (or other radiation) is blocked by the shade of an object.
2. Relative darkness, especially as caused by the interruption of light; gloom; obscurity.
3. An area protected by an obstacle (likened to an object blocking out sunlight).
4. A reflected image, as in a mirror or in water.
5. That which looms as though a shadow.
6. A small degree; a shade.
7. An imperfect and faint representation.
8. A trainee, assigned to work with an experienced officer.
9. One who secretly or furtively follows another.
10. An inseparable companion.
11. A drop shadow effect applied to lettering in word processors etc.
12. An influence, especially a pervasive or a negative one.
13. A spirit; a ghost; a shade.
14. An uninvited guest accompanying one who was invited.
15. An unconscious aspect of the personality.

## Etymology
From Middle English schadowe, schadewe, schadwe (also schade > shade), from Old English sċeaduwe, sċeadwe, oblique form of sċeadu (“shadow, shade; darkness; protection”), from Proto-West Germanic *skadu, from Proto-Germanic *skadwaz (“shade, shadow”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱeh₃- (“darkness”).
Cognates
Cognate with Scots shedda (“shadow”), Saterland Frisian Skaad, Skade (“shade, shadow”), West Frisian skaad, skâd (“shade, shadow”), Central Franconian and Limburgish Schatte (“shadow”), Dutch schade, schaduw (“shadow”), German Schatten (“shade, shadow”), German Low German Scharr, Scharre (“shade, shadow”), Luxembourgish Schiet (“shade, shadow”), Vilamovian siota (“shadow”), Yiddish שאָטן (shotn, “shadow”), Faroese skadda (“thick wet mountain fog”), Icelandic skodda, skoddi (“shadow”), Norwegian Bokmål skodde (“fog, mist”), Norwegian Nynorsk skodde, skåddj, skåidd (“fog; ice fog”), Gothic 𐍃𐌺𐌰𐌳𐌿𐍃 (skadus, “shadow”); also Breton skeud (“shadow; reflection; ghost”), Cornish skeus (“shadow; reflection”), Irish scáth (“shadow”), Manx scaa, skæ (“shield; shade, shadow”), Scottish Gaelic sgàth (“shade, shadow”), Latin obscurus (“dark, dusky, shadowy”), Ancient Greek σκότος (skótos, “darkness, gloom”) (whence English scoto-), Belarusian сівы́ (sivý, “grey”), Czech and Slovak sivý (“grey”), Macedonian осој (osoj, “shady place”), Polish siwy (“grey”), Russian си́вый (sívyj, “grey”), Serbo-Croatian сив, siv (“grey”), Slovene osoja (“shady place”), Ukrainian си́вий (sývyj, “grey”), Armenian սեաւ (seaw), սեւ (sew, “black”), Ossetian сау (saw, “black”), Persian سه (sah), سیه (siyah), سیاه (siyâh, “black”), Sanskrit श्याम (śyāma, “black”), श्याव (śyāva, “dark”).

## Easily confused with
- **show** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shadow-vs-show)
- **shaw** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shadow-vs-shaw)
- **shady** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shadow-vs-shady)
- **Sharon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shadow-vs-sharon)
- **shalom** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shadow-vs-shalom)
- **shadows** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shadow-vs-shadows)
- **shallow** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shadow-vs-shallow)
- **shadowy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shadow-vs-shadowy)
- **shadowed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shadow-vs-shadowed)
- **shad** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shad-vs-shadow)
- **shade** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shade-vs-shadow)
- **shades** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shades-vs-shadow)
- **shader** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shader-vs-shadow)

## Common misspellings (9)
`hsadow`, `sahdow`, `shaddow`, `shadoww`, `shadwo`, `shaodw`, `shdaow`, `shhadow`, `sshadow`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/shadow