throw shade

throw shade v. phr. to take a superior attitude; to criticize, demean, or insult; to diss or derogate. Editorial Note: This term has is most often associated with Black English, but it is also said to be used among gay and cross-dressing performers and club-goers. Etymological Note: Probably related to shade, v., which means “to defeat, to outdo” and dates to at least as early as 1925 and also to the far more common put in/throw in the shade with the same meaning. A mild form of the term was popularized during the late 1980s and early 1990s when the much-hyped dance and peformance style of “voguing” came to widespread attention. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)