shady
/ˈʃeɪdi/adjective
shady is spelled S-H-A-D-Y: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 5.1 times per million words in written English, the 11,015th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, shady means “Abounding in shades” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in shady?
| Letters | 5: S-H-A-D-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 5.1 times per million words; the 11,015th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is shady?
Shady appears 5.1 times per million words in written English, the 11,015th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce shady?
- /ˈʃeɪdi/
Shady has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-shady.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with shady?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as shady.
Spelled with the same letters in another order: dashy.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of shady
- shadier comparative
- shadiest superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does shady mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Abounding in shades.
- 2
Causing shade.
- 3
Overspread with shade; sheltered from the glare of light or sultry heat.
- 4
informalNot trustworthy; disreputable.
He is a shady character.
- 5
UKslangMean, cruel.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Shady in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | ombragé , louche |
| German | schattig , zwielichtig, dubios , schattenspendend, Schatten spendend |
| Portuguese | sombroso, umbroso , suspeito, duvidoso, escuso , sombreado |
| Spanish | umbroso, umbrátil, umbrío, sombreado |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does shady come from?
From shade + -y. Compare Saterland Frisian skaadich, skaddich (“shady”), German schattig (“shady”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).