To throw shade means to insult someone or to trash talk someone. The term has a nuance that is not always understood by mainstream English speakers. Insults delivered when throwing shade should be subtle and not necessarily appear to be insulting at first. Shade is often nonverbal and can be defined as "subtle, sneering expression of contempt for or disgust with someone—sometimes verbal, and sometimes not". ^{grammarist.com}+2 ^{1 2 3}