shade

made in the shade

In a comfortable position in life, usually due to some manner of financial success or windfall. I can't believe they sold their company for billions—they're made in the shade now! If you're born into a wealthy family, you're made in the shade while the rest of us struggle.

See also: made, shade

shade

slang Subtle insults or expressions of disapproval. I was just checking my phone for a second when Joe totally threw shade at me, saying, "Some of us don't need to be glued to our phones every minute of the day." My mom is the queen of shade. She loves to say, "Is that really what you're going to wear?"

throw shade

slang To subtly issue insults or expressions of disapproval. I was just checking my phone for a second when Joe totally threw shade at me, saying, "Some of us don't need to be glued to our phones every minute of the day." My mom is the queen of throwing shade. She loves to say, "Is that really what you're going to wear?"

See also: shade, throw

put (one or something) in the shade

To make someone or something seem less interesting, important, or remarkable by comparison. I was really proud of my presentation, but Jonathan's put everyone else's in the shade. The fantastic performance by the Ugandan runner put his opponents in the shade.

See also: put, shade

shades of (someone or something)

A reminder, reminiscence, or approximation of someone or something in the past or another person or thing. She lined up the shot and got a perfect bull's-eye—shades of her former passion for marksmanship. He took a moment to collect himself after his outburst. "Shades of my father," he muttered to himself.

See also: of, shade

have it made in the shade

 and have got it made in the shade

Sl. to have succeeded; to be set for life. Wow, is he lucky! He has it made in the shade. Sarah's got it made in the shade with her huge inheritance.

See also: have, made, shade

shades of someone or something

Fig. reminders of someone or something; a thing that is reminiscent of someone or something. When I met Jim's mother, I thought "shades of Aunt Mary." "Shades of grade school," said Jack as the university lecturer rebuked him for being late.

See also: of, shade

shades of

A reminder of a person or situation in the past. For example, He really played a fine game for a fifty-year-old-shades of his high school triumphs, or They found themselves alone on the beach-shades of their childhood summers together. [Mid-1800s]

See also: of, shade

put someone/something in the shade

If one person or thing puts another in the shade, they are so impressive that they make the other person or thing seem unimportant or less good by comparison. Such was her beauty that even in her sixties, she managed to put younger women in the shade. The celebrations are so fantastic they would put Mardi Gras in the shade. Note: Shade here means the shadow or darkness produced by blocking the light.

See also: put, shade, something

shades of someone/something

If you have just mentioned a person or thing and you say shades of another person or thing, you mean that the first person or thing reminds you of the second one. MacDowell stars in a thriller as the wife of a criminal who has faked his death. Shades of The Third Man, perhaps? The debate was brought forward by a week, in an effort to prevent the protest planned for it by the students' leaders. Shades of 1968? Note: `Shade' is an old word for `ghost'.

See also: of, shade, something

in (or into) the shade

in (or into) a position of relative inferiority or obscurity.

See also: shade

a shade —

a little —. informal

1984 Armistead Maupin Babycakes Shall we go a shade lighter…Pink it up a bit?

See also: of, shade

shades of —

used to suggest reminiscence of or comparison with someone or something specified.

The sense of shade alluded to here is ‘shadow’ or ‘ghost’.

1991 Cordelia Mansall Discover Astrology Perhaps it is shades of the way your mother had to reject her own brilliance. You have a very fine brain which you tend to put down.

See also: of, shade

put somebody/something in the ˈshade

(informal) be much better or more successful than somebody/something: The new player really puts the rest of the team in the shade. OPPOSITE: cannot hold a candle to somebody/something

See also: put, shade, somebody, something

shade in

v.

1. To represent degrees of shade or shadow in some drawing or picture, so as to give the illusion of depth: The artist shaded in the contours of the model's face in the portrait.

2. To darken some bounded area that is drawn or printed on a surface: The teacher shaded in the area where the circles overlapped with yellow chalk. I'm going to shade in the left side of this drawing with crosshatches to make it darker.

See also: shade

shade into

v.

To pass from one quality, color, or thing to some other by very slight changes or degrees: The hues of the pink sunset shaded into purple.

See also: shade

have it made in the shade

tv. to have succeeded; to be set for life. (Have got can replace have.) Wow, is he lucky! He has it made in the shade.

See also: have, made, shade

shades

n. dark glasses. (see also sunshades.) Where are my shades? The sun is too bright.

See also: shade

a shade

A little bit; slightly: a sprinter who was a shade quicker that the rest.

See also: shade