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Glite Dictionary
to cast a shadow

to cast a shadow

13 6.2
Make a person, event, or situation seem less happy and less hopeful
  • idiom
  • /kæst ə ˈʃædoʊ/
: echar una sombra
  • "This treaty business has cast a shadow over all of us, I fear."

Examples

  • The controversy surrounding the election has cast a shadow on the trust people have in the government.

  • In the election season, that cast a shadow over the Obama administration's foreign policy record.

    Blog text (33)

  • Talk like that could also cast a shadow over the future of the U.S. Sentencing Commission.

    Academic text (2005)

  • Impending death seemed to cast a shadow between those two proud souls.

    Blog text (26)

  • It's a dampening effect, casting a shadow over me everywhere I go.

    Blog text (28)

  • But recent events cast a shadow over those glowing renderings.

    Blog text (21)

  • Harbaugh's health scare cast a shadow on another injury watch: quarterback Alex Smith's recovery from a Sunday concussion.

    Blog text (22)

  • Corruption, no longer the preserve of the palace and the upper class, flourished and became more visible, discrediting the political class and casting a shadow over democracy.

    Academic text (2005)

  • President Fujimori's expressed reluctance to endorse US drug-related security assistance programs casts a shadow on the future of US-Peruvian cooperation in this area and raises an important question for US policymakers.

    Academic text (1990)

  • His harsh criticism cast a shadow over her confidence and made her doubt her abilities.

Synonyms

to cast doubt
vsto cast a shadow
23 4.6

Make people feel unsure if something is true

covers uncertainty but also includes sadness or a gloomy effect
to cast a pall
vsto cast a shadow
4 8.2

Make a meeting or event feel gloomy and sad

is a negative effect that brings doubt, sadness, or uncertainty
to overshadow
vsto cast a shadow
1 5.4

To make something darker by blocking light

is about emotional harm like doubt, sadness, or uncertainty
to cast down
vsto cast a shadow
1 6.3

To make someone feel sad or discouraged

affects people or events more broadly causing doubt or gloom
to cast a chill
vsto cast a shadow
1 8.2

Make people feel uneasy, disappointed or uncomfortable

is broader, causing doubt, sadness, or general trouble

Antonyms

to bolster confidence
2 4.0

To make someone feel more sure of themselves

How Negative

to cast a shadow
13 6.2
to overshadow
61 5.9
to put a damper on
  • Informal
13 5.8

Surface Forms

cast a shadow infinitive
cast a shadow past
cast a shadow past participle
casting a shadow present participle
casts a shadow third person singular

Morphology

cast + a + shadow

The meaning 'to have a negative or troubling effect' is a direct metaphorical extension of 'cast' (to project/send forth) plus 'shadow' (darkness or gloom); a learner who knows both words can readily infer that something that 'casts a shadow over' an event makes it gloomy or troubling. This projection metaphor is common across languages and follows a straightforward compositional pattern, so it is readily understandable to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Cast a shadow comes from the simple image of something making a dark shape on the ground: when an object casts a shadow, it blocks light and makes the place feel darker. So, when news or events 'cast a shadow' on a person or event, they bring a 'negative' or 'worrying' effect that changes the mood.