dim vs shade

dim

verb
  • To become darker. 

  • To render dim, obscure, or dark; to make less bright or distinct 

  • To make something less bright. 

  • To deprive of distinct vision; to hinder from seeing clearly, either by dazzling or clouding the eyes; to darken the senses or understanding of. 

adj
  • Not bright or colorful. 

  • Indistinct, hazy or unclear. 

  • Not smart or intelligent. 

  • Disapproving, unfavorable: rarely used outside the phrase take a dim view of. 

shade

verb
  • To darken, particularly in drawing. 

  • To shield (someone or something) from light. 

  • To reduce (a window) so that only its title bar is visible. 

  • To alter slightly. 

  • To move slightly from one's normal fielding position. 

  • To vary or approach something slightly, particularly in color. 

  • To surpass by a narrow margin. 

  • To throw shade, to subtly insult someone. 

  • To shield oneself from light. 

noun
  • Something that blocks light, particularly in a window. 

  • A variety of a colour/color, in particular one obtained by adding black (compare tint). 

  • An aspect that is reminiscent of something. 

  • A very small degree of a quantity, or variety of meaning 

  • A ghost or specter; a spirit. 

  • A subtle variation in a concept. 

  • A postage stamp showing an obvious difference in colour/color to the original printing and needing a separate catalogue/catalog entry. 

  • Subtle insults. 

  • A candle-shade. 

  • A cover around or above a light bulb, a lampshade. 

  • Darkness where light, particularly sunlight, is blocked. 

How often have the words dim and shade occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )