The word "shadowed" is pronounced as /ˈʃædəʊd/ in IPA phonetic transcription. The first syllable "shad" is spelled with a "sh" sound as it indicates the voiceless postalveolar fricative. The second syllable "owed" is spelled with a "o" sound as it represents the diphthong vowel which is a combination of "oh" and "oo". The final "ed" part is silent as it is an inflectional ending to indicate the past tense of the verb "shadow". The word "shadowed" means to have followed someone secretly or to have been covered with a shadow.
Shadowed is an adjective used to describe something that is characterized by the presence of shadows or obscured by darkness. It refers to an object, area, or person that is partially or completely covered by a shadow, resulting in a lack of light or visibility.
In a literal sense, when an object or person is shadowed, it means that a shadow is cast upon them, either by another object or by the absence of light. This term can describe a scene or situation where objects or people are not clearly visible due to the blocking of light sources or the obstruction created by other objects.
Metaphorically, being shadowed can refer to a state of being overshadowed, concealed, or hidden by something else. For example, a person might feel shadowed by a more dominant or authoritative figure, meaning that their presence or voice is diminished or overlooked in comparison. Likewise, an event or idea may be shadowed by a more significant or impactful occurrence, causing it to be less noticed or recognized.
Overall, shadowed is a term that conveys the concept of something being darkened, concealed, or obscured physically or metaphorically. It suggests a lack of visibility or prominence, whether it is due to literal shadowing or to being overshadowed by something else.
Covered; clouded.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word shadowed is derived from the Middle English word schadewen, which came from the Old English sceadwian. Both of these older forms have the same meaning as the modern term shadowed. Ultimately, the root of the word can be traced back to the Proto-Germanic word *skadwa, which means shadow or shade.