Is There Any Difference Between The Meaning Of Shady And The Meaning Of Shifty?

[Evan2020]

These words both describe someone or something like dishonest, but are they exactly the same or is there a minor difference in the meaning behind shady vs the meaning behind shifty?

[jno]

I think "shifty" is more a criticism of a specific person or his/her appearance and means personally untrustworthy. Shady refers more to actions or character generally and implies you can't tell what they're up to,

[Khandro]

I agree with jno; a shady person is what it implies - standing in the shade - so it isn't easy to ascertain their motives or character.
A shifty person continually is shifting their ground and so is unreliable.

The former you can't be sure of, the latter you can't trust.