noun
lampshade
LAMP-shayd
noun
1
A cover placed over a light bulb to soften or direct the light and prevent glare.
"She picked out a cream lampshade to match the curtains."
verb
1
In storytelling, to draw attention to something unlikely or clichéd in the plot, often as a joke, rather than trying to hide it.
"The film lampshades its own absurd plot twist with a wink to the audience."
How to Use Lampshade
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishLiterally, the cover over a lamp; in writing and film criticism, calling attention to a plot hole on purpose instead of ignoring it.
Common pairings
lampshade a plot hole
hang a lampshade on
Word Forms
lampshaded past tense, lampshades plural, lampshades singular
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Etymology
From "lamp" + "shade." The storytelling sense is a 21st-century coinage, referencing the idiom "hanging a lampshade on it" — making an awkward element more visible rather than less.