shade
gb/ʃˈeɪd/ us/ʃˈeɪd/
A2
English
~ 8100
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
area protected from direct sun
A place that is darker and cooler because something stops the sun or strong light.
Usage pattern:
in the shade (of [something])
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse "shade" and "shadow". Use "in the shade" for a cool, darker place where you can be (sit, stand), and "shadow" mainly for the dark shape made on the ground or wall by something blocking the light.
Synonyms
shadow (More general; can mean the dark shape made by an object, not only a cool place to sit.)
|
shadecloth (A specific material used to create shade, not the shaded area itself.)
Antonyms
sunlight (Refers to bright direct light from the sun, not a darker, cooler area.)
|
full sun (Describes an area with no shade where the sun shines directly.)
Collocations
sit in the shade
|stay in the shade
|seek shade
|cool shade
|deep shade
|the shade of a tree
Themes
nature
|weather
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- We ate lunch in the shade of a big oak tree.
- The children moved their chairs into the shade when the sun got too hot.
- Plants that like shade will grow well on this side of the house.
- Let’s find some shade before we get sunburned.
Learner examples
- We sat in the shade and drank water.
- The dog is sleeping in the shade of the car.
- Please park the car in the shade.
- I stood in the shade because the sun was strong.
Noun
B1
property
2
particular tone of a color
A special kind or level of a color, for example light blue or dark blue.
Usage pattern:
a shade of [color]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say "grade of color" or "type of color" instead of "shade of color". Use the pattern "a shade of [color]", not "a shade in [color]".
Synonyms
tint (Often suggests a lighter or added amount of color, especially in art or cosmetics.)
|
hue (Slightly more technical or artistic; refers more generally to color quality.)
Antonyms
colorless (Describes something with no color at all, the opposite of having a particular shade.)
Collocations
light shade
|dark shade
|different shades
|subtle shade
|shade of blue
|earthy shades
Themes
art
|design
|fashion
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She tried on three different shades of red lipstick.
- The walls are painted in a soft shade of green.
- You can choose any shade of blue from this chart.
- This fabric comes in various shades, from pale pink to deep rose.
Learner examples
- I like this shade of yellow.
- Her eyes are a dark shade of brown.
- We painted the room a light shade of gray.
- That shirt is the wrong shade of blue for me.
Noun
B1
entity
3
window covering that blocks light
A cover on a window that you can pull up or down to stop light coming in.
Usage pattern:
pull / draw / raise / lower the shade
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse "curtain" and "shade". A "curtain" is usually a hanging piece of cloth that moves sideways, while a "shade" is often on a roller and moves up and down.
Synonyms
blind (More common in many varieties of English; can refer to different types of window coverings, not just roll-up ones.)
Collocations
window shade
|roller shade
|pull down the shade
|draw the shade
|raise the shade
|lower the shade
Themes
home
|daily life
|housing
|daily_life
Examples
- She pulled down the shade to keep the room cool.
- The hotel room had heavy shades that blocked out all the light.
- He raised the shades to let the morning sun in.
- We need new window shades for the living room.
Learner examples
- Please pull down the shade.
- He opened the shades in the morning.
- The shades in this room are very old.
- She closed the shades before going to bed.
Noun
B2
quantity
4
small amount or degree
A very small amount or level of something, often used when two things are almost the same.
Usage pattern:
a shade [comparative adjective]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say "a little shade" or "a shade of more". Use "a shade" directly before a comparative adjective: "a shade better", "a shade colder", not "a shade of better".
Synonyms
touch (Informal; often used in expressions like "a touch better" with a similar meaning.)
|
trace (Suggests a very small amount, especially of a quality that is hard to notice.)
Antonyms
a lot (Describes a large degree, the opposite of a very small difference.)
Collocations
a shade better
|a shade darker
|a shade different
|a shade more expensive
|a shade of doubt
|every shade of opinion
Themes
degree
|comparison
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- This model is a shade cheaper than the other one.
- Her answer was a shade different from mine.
- He looked a shade happier after he got the news.
- The new version is a shade better than the original.
Learner examples
- This car is a shade faster than that one.
- The room is a shade warmer today.
- Her dress is a shade darker than mine.
- He is a shade taller than his brother.
Verb
B2
action
5
to protect something from light
To stop strong light from hitting something so it becomes darker and cooler.
Usage pattern:
to shade [something] (from [something])
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say "make shade to" instead of "shade" as a verb. Say "The tree shades the garden", not "The tree makes shade to the garden".
Synonyms
screen (Emphasizes protection from light or view, not only making it darker.)
|
shelter (More general protection, not only from light but also from rain, wind, etc.)
Antonyms
expose (Means to leave something uncovered or unprotected so light or other things can reach it freely.)
Collocations
shade your eyes
|shade the window
|trees shade the house
|shade the plants
|shade the screen
|shade the porch
Themes
nature
|daily life
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The tall buildings shade the park in the afternoon.
- She used her hand to shade her eyes from the sun.
- We planted trees to shade the patio during summer.
- Please shade the screen so I can see the image clearly.
Learner examples
- He put on a hat to shade his face.
- The umbrella shaded us from the sun.
- Clouds shaded the beach for a short time.
- A big tree shades our balcony.
Verb
B2
action
6
to darken parts of a drawing
To color or draw on part of a picture so that it looks darker.
Usage pattern:
to shade [an area / a shape] (in)
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use only "color" when instructions say "shade". "Color" can mean fill completely with strong color; "shade" often means add gentle or partial darkness.
Synonyms
darken (General word for making something darker; not specific to drawing.)
Antonyms
erase (Means to remove lines or color, often doing the opposite of shading in drawing.)
Collocations
shade in the circle
|lightly shade
|shade the background
|shade the edges
|shade the area
|shade with a pencil
Themes
art
|education
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- Shade the area between the two lines in your textbook.
- She carefully shaded the background to make the figures stand out.
- The art teacher showed us how to shade with a soft pencil.
- Lightly shade the circle to show that it is selected.
Learner examples
- Please shade the box on the form.
- The student shaded the wrong answer.
- He shaded the sky with a blue pencil.
- She shaded the face to make it look real.
Noun
slang
B1
entity
7
sunglasses (usually plural "shades")
Sunglasses; dark glasses you wear to protect your eyes from the sun.
Usage pattern:
wear / put on / take off [one's] shades
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say "a shades". Use the plural form: "a pair of shades" or just "shades". This use is informal or slang, so it is not suitable for formal writing.
Synonyms
sunglasses (Standard neutral word; "shades" is more casual and slangy.)
Collocations
wear shades
|put on your shades
|dark shades
|designer shades
|cool shades
|mirror shades
Themes
fashion
|daily life
|clothing
|daily_life
Examples
- He walked in wearing dark shades and a leather jacket.
- Don’t forget your shades; it’s really bright outside.
- She bought a new pair of designer shades for the summer.
- I can’t see indoors with these shades on.
Learner examples
- He wears shades when he drives.
- She put on her shades before she left the house.
- My shades are on the table.
- I need new shades for the beach.
Noun
literary
C1
entity
8
ghost or spirit of the dead
The spirit of someone who has died; a ghost (literary word).
Usage pattern:
the shade of [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners may think this meaning is common in modern speech. It is mostly literary or poetic; in normal conversation, people say "ghost" or "spirit" instead.
Synonyms
ghost (Everyday word; "shade" is more poetic or old-fashioned.)
|
spirit (General word for a non-physical being; not only of dead people.)
Antonyms
living person (Represents someone alive in the physical world, the opposite of a dead person’s spirit.)
Collocations
wandering shades
|the shades of the dead
|the shade of his father
|ancient shades
|restless shade
Themes
literature
|mythology
|religion
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- The poet calls upon the shades of his ancestors for guidance.
- In the story, the hero is visited by the shade of his former teacher.
- Legends say the battlefield is haunted by the shades of fallen soldiers.
- He felt as if a silent shade followed him through the empty house.
Learner examples
- In this old story, a shade speaks to the king.
- The hero meets the shades of the dead in the underworld.
- A shade comes to warn him in a dream.
- Writers sometimes use the word "shade" to mean a ghost.
Noun
slang
C1
action
9
indirect insult or criticism
A way of saying bad or unkind things about someone in a secret or clever way, not directly.
Usage pattern:
throw shade (at [someone])
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "shade" here means darkness or color. In slang, "shade" means indirect insult or disrespect, especially in the phrase "throw shade". This use is informal and common in online and pop-culture contexts.
Synonyms
insult (More general; not always indirect or playful like "shade" can be.)
|
diss (Slang similar to "shade" but does not necessarily suggest indirect criticism.)
Antonyms
praise (Expresses approval and respect, the opposite of insulting or disrespectful remarks.)
Collocations
throw shade
|subtle shade
|a bit of shade
|online shade
|serious shade
|shady comment
Themes
emotions
|social media
|communication
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Fans thought her comment about his acting was pure shade.
- There was a lot of shade in that interview with the politician.
- He denied throwing shade at his former bandmate on social media.
- The post was meant as a joke, but many read it as shade towards his coworkers.
Learner examples
- People said his tweet was shade.
- She doesn’t answer directly; she just gives shade.
- That joke was funny but also shade at her ex.
- He likes to throw shade at famous people online.
Verb
slang
C1
action
10
to insult someone indirectly
To say something that quietly attacks or laughs at someone without saying their name or being very direct.
Usage pattern:
to shade [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use this slang verb in very formal writing or exams. It is best kept for informal speech, social media, and pop-culture contexts.
Synonyms
diss (Slang for insult; can be more direct than "shade".)
|
mock (Suggests making fun of someone, not always indirect like "shade".)
Antonyms
compliment (Means to say something nice about someone, the opposite of insulting them.)
Collocations
shade someone
|shaded me
|shading his ex
|shaded celebrities
|shades her coworkers
|subtly shade
Themes
emotions
|social media
|communication
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- People said she shaded her co-star during the award speech.
- He’s always shading his boss on his private account.
- The article lightly shaded the company for its slow response.
- She felt hurt because her friend shaded her in that podcast episode.
Learner examples
- He shaded his ex in that song.
- She often shades people on Twitter.
- I think he was shading me with that joke.
- They shaded the team for losing again.
Grammar
Dictionary form
shade
IPA
GB/ʃˈeɪd/
US/ʃˈeɪd/
Syllables & stress
shade (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (shade)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: shade
- Plural: shade, shades
Verb
- Base: shade
- 3rd Person Singular: shades
- Present Participle: shading
- Past: shaded
Word family
Forms
shades
noun
shading
verb
shaded
verb
Core family
shady
adjective B2
Negative and opposite forms
shadeless
adjective
Expressions
a shade better
1/ə ʃˈeɪd bˈɛtɚ/
fixed phrase
slightly better than something
A little bit better, not a lot better.
Examples
- This version is a shade better than the last one.
- He’s a shade better at math than his brother.
- The second restaurant was a shade better, but still not great.
a shade of [color]
1/ə ʃˈeɪd əv kˈʌlɚ/
fixed phrase
a particular version of a color
A special kind or level of a color, like light blue or dark blue.
Examples
- The sofa is a shade of gray that matches the rug.
- Her dress is a beautiful shade of deep green.
- We chose a soft shade of yellow for the baby’s room.
in the shade
1/ˈɪn ðə ʃˈeɪd/
fixed phrase
located where sun is blocked
In a place where something stops the sun, so it is darker and cooler.
Examples
- Let’s sit in the shade until it cools down.
- The dog is lying in the shade under the table.
- They put the baby’s stroller in the shade.
put [someone/something] in the shade
1/pˈʊt sˈoʊmˈoʊnsəmˈɛθɪŋ ˈɪn ðə ʃˈeɪd/
idiom
to outshine strongly by comparison
To be so good that another person or thing seems less good or not important.
Examples
- Her performance put all the others in the shade.
- The new model puts last year’s phones in the shade.
- His generosity put my small gift in the shade.
shades of gray
1/ʃˈeɪdz əv ɡɹˈeɪ/
fixed phrase
many subtle differences, not simple
Many small differences between two ends, so something is not only good or bad, right or wrong.
Examples
- The issue isn’t simple; there are many shades of gray.
- Her novel explores the moral shades of gray in war.
- In real life, things are often shades of gray, not black and white.
shades of meaning
1/ʃˈeɪdz əv mˈinɪŋ/
fixed phrase
subtle differences in meaning
Small, careful differences in meaning between words or ideas that are almost the same.
Examples
- The teacher explained the shades of meaning between "say", "tell", and "speak".
- Writers care about the shades of meaning that different words carry.
- Translation is difficult because of the many shades of meaning in each language.
throw shade
1/θɹˈoʊ ʃˈeɪd/
idiom
slang
criticize or insult indirectly
To say something that secretly attacks or laughs at someone, without speaking very directly.
Examples
- Fans thought she was throwing shade at her ex in that interview.
- He keeps throwing shade at other players on social media.
- The comedian threw shade at several politicians during the show.