shadowy

Everyday

1. Full of shadows; dark and hard to see in: «a shadowy corner». tree →
2. Like a shadow: dim, faint and not clear: «a shadowy figure». tree →
3. Mysterious and secret, not well known: «a shadowy organisation». tree →

In the lessons

In The Wind in the Willows the Wild Wood is shadowy and frightening; the Mole sees faces in the shadows. Stories use «shadowy» for mystery and danger. In science, a shadow forms when light is blocked by an object.

Examples

• A shadowy figure crept along the alley. tree →
• The Mole hurried through the shadowy Wild Wood. tree →
• The old house had shadowy corners. tree →
• We could see shadowy shapes under the water. tree →
• The spy worked for a shadowy group. tree →
• The shadowy forest made the children nervous. tree →
• They are accordingly represented as misty, shadowy beings, with graceful swaying forms, and robed in pale blue, gauze-like fabrics. tree →

Note

Comparative: shadowier, shadowiest (y → i).