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shadily

shadily

6.9
In a way that makes people think you are dishonest
  • adverb
  • /ˈʃeɪdɪli/
translation icon : de manera sospechosa
  • The salesperson spoke shadily, making it hard to trust his promises.

Examples

  • She acted shadily during the meeting, avoiding eye contact with everyone.

  • Why is it that the pictures are always shadily taken from an oblique angle?

    Blog text (21)
  • His shadily casual attitude raised suspicion about his intentions.

Synonyms

suspiciously
vsshadily
43 3.8

In a way that shows you do not trust someone

adds a sense of appearing dishonest rather than mere distrust
dubiously
vsshadily
3 6.7

In a way that shows doubt or little trust

leans more toward implying a dishonest or suspect motive
shiftily
vsshadily
8.4

In a way that shows someone is dishonest or evasive

is about seeming dishonest or suspicious rather than openly evasive
corruptedly
vsshadily
8.9

In a dishonest way to get money or power

suggests dishonesty only by appearance rather than proven wrongdoing

Antonyms

182 1.3

In a truthful way that shows you mean what you say

How Suspiciously

fraudulently
10 7.5
shadily
6.9
suspiciously
43 3.8

Surface Forms

shadily positive

Morphology

shadily = shady (transparent) = shade + y + ly

The adverb is formed regularly by adding -ly to the adjective 'shady', and its meaning follows directly from 'shady' (suspicious/dishonest).

Etymology

Shadily comes from shady, which comes from shade meaning 'shadow' or 'out of the light'. Because being in the shade hides you, to do something shadily is to do it in a secret or dishonest way.