shadow

Meanings

• 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"
• follow, usually without the person's knowledge
  • "The police are shadowing her"
• cast a shadow over
• make appear small by comparison

Synonyms

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