Gen Z · 1997–2012 · Conflict shade
Shade
A subtle or indirect insult, criticism or expression of disrespect.
IN PLAIN ENGLISH“A subtle insult”
ALSO SEARCHED ASthrow shade
THE VIBEExpressive, contextual, playful
USE IT INConversation, captions, group chats
USE IT LIKE THIS
“That caption was definitely shade.”
CONTEXT CHECK
Strongly associated with Black and queer cultural traditions.
WORD ORIGIN
Popularized through social media, music, memes and everyday youth speech.