What does shadowed mean?
Shadowed describes something darkened, covered, or obscured by a shadow, as in a street lined with trees or a figure hidden beneath a wide-brimmed hat. It can also mean figuratively that a person, achievement, or subject has been made to seem less important by another presence or event. The word has a somewhat literary quality in physical descriptions, but the figurative sense is widely understood and often carries the implication of diminished prominence rather than complete disappearance. As the past tense and past participle of the verb shadow, it also indicates an action that has occurred: something has cast a shadow over something else, or one person or achievement has drawn attention away from another.
Covered, darkened, or partly obscured by a shadow; figuratively, less prominent because of another person or thing.
"The garden was shadowed by the dense canopy of an old oak tree."
Figurative uses commonly describe a person or achievement being made to seem less important.
To darken or obscure with a shadow; figuratively, to make less prominent by comparison.
"The larger company shadowed its smaller competitor throughout the market."
Usually used in the past tense or past participle in contemporary prose.
A word can be shadowed by darkness, while a person's achievement can be shadowed by someone else's success.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does shadowed come from?
The word comes from the verb shadow, which developed from the older noun shadow, probably related to shade and the Old English sceadu, meaning a shade or shadow. The past tense and past participle ending -ed was added in the usual English way. The resulting form spread naturally into adjectival uses, especially in descriptions of places, figures, and features that are darkened or partly hidden.
Related word forms
How shadowed is actually used
The adjective is common in literary description and in the figurative sense of being made to seem less important. The verb is usually transitive and takes the thing being darkened or diminished as its object.
Easily confused with shadowed
Shadowed refers to an area or figure obscured by a shadow, whereas shaded can mean covered by shading or partially protected from light.
Shadowed can describe physical darkness, while overshadowed more commonly means to diminish another person or achievement in comparison.