shadow

Plural: shadows

Noun

• shade within clear boundaries
• an unilluminated area
• something existing in perception only
• a premonition of something adverse
  • "a shadow over his happiness"
• an indication that something has been present
• refuge from danger or observation
  • "he felt secure in his father's shadow"
• a dominating and pervasive presence
  • "he received little recognition working in the shadow of his father"
• a spy employed to follow someone and report their movements
• an inseparable companion
  • "the poor child was his mother's shadow"
• A dark image projected onto a surface where light (or other radiation) is blocked by the shade of an object.
• Relative darkness, especially as caused by the interruption of light; gloom; obscurity.
• An area protected by an obstacle (likened to an object blocking out sunlight).
• A reflected image, as in a mirror or in water.
• That which looms as though a shadow.
• A small degree; a shade.
• An imperfect and faint representation.
• A trainee, assigned to work with an experienced officer.
• One who secretly or furtively follows another.
• An inseparable companion.
• A drop shadow effect applied to lettering in word processors etc.
• An influence, especially a pervasive or a negative one.
• A spirit; a ghost; a shade.
• An uninvited guest accompanying one who was invited.
• An unconscious aspect of the personality.

Verb

Verb Forms: shadowed, shadowing, shadows

• To make dark or gloomy; to follow closely.
• follow, usually without the person's knowledge
  • "The police are shadowing her"
• cast a shadow over
• make appear small by comparison
• To shade, cloud, or darken.
• To block light or radio transmission from.
• To secretly or discreetly track or follow another, to keep under surveillance.
• To represent faintly and imperfectly.
• To hide; to conceal.
• To accompany (a professional) during the working day, so as to learn about an occupation one intends to take up.
• To make (an identifier, usually a variable) inaccessible by declaring another of the same name within the scope of the first.
• To apply the shadowing process to (the contents of ROM).

Adj

• Unofficial, informal, unauthorized, but acting as though it were.
• Having power or influence, but not widely known or recognized.
• Part of, or related to, the opposition in government.
• Acting in a leadership role before being formally recognized.

Examples

• He came back from war the shadow of a man.
• He did not give even a shadow of respect to the professor.
• He tried to SHADOW his opponent’s strategy, mimicking their word-building approach.
• I don't have a shadow of doubt in my mind that my plan will succeed.
• I immediately jumped into shadow as I saw them approach.
• I lived in her shadow my whole life.
• Looks like that cloud's going to shadow us.
• My shadow lengthened as the sun began to set.
• The artist chose to shadow this corner of the painting.
• The constable was promoted to working as a shadow for the Royals.
• The human resources department has a shadow information technology group without headquarters knowledge.
• The mountains block the passage of rain-producing weather systems and cast a "shadow" of dryness behind them.
• The neopagan ritual was only a pale shadow of the ones the Greeks held thousands of years ago.
• The X-ray showed a shadow on his lung.

Synonyms

apparition, dark, darkness, dwarf, fantasm, overshadow, phantasm, phantasma, phantom, shade, shade off, shadower, tail, tincture, trace, vestige, umbra

Related Words

scoto-

Anagrams of shadow