1A dark shape formed when light is blocked; the outline or silhouette of a person or object.
夕日が傾くと、自分の影がどんどん長くなった。
As the sun set, my shadow grew longer and longer.
カーテンの向こうに人影が動くのが見えた。
I saw the shadow of a person moving behind the curtain.
木漏れ日の中で葉の影が地面に揺れていた。
Amid the dappled sunlight, the shadows of leaves swayed on the ground.
灯りをつけると、壁に大きな影ができた。
When I turned on the light, a large shadow appeared on the wall.
2A reflection or image seen on a surface such as water or a mirror.
湖面に山の影がくっきりと映っていた。
The mountain's reflection was clearly visible on the lake's surface.
鏡に映った自分の影を見て、少し驚いた。
I was a little surprised to see my own reflection in the mirror.
窓ガラスに車のライトの影が映って眩しかった。
The reflection of the car's headlights on the window glass was dazzling.
3A sense that something ominous is about to happen; a literary, figurative usage.
会社の業績に暗い影が差し始めていた。
A dark shadow had begun to fall over the company's performance.
彼の表情には何か不安の影が見え隠れしていた。
A hint of anxiety flickered ominously across his expression.
4A poetic or archaic term for the light of the moon or stars.
秋の夜、月の影が湖に静かに揺れていた。
On an autumn night, the moon's light shimmered quietly on the lake.
古の和歌には星の影を詠んだものが多い。
Many ancient waka poems sing of starlight.
5A trace or remnant — the faint lingering sign of a former state.
廃墟となった工場には、かつての賑わいの影さえなかった。
The factory, now in ruins, didn't even retain a trace of its former bustle.
病気から回復した彼には、以前の元気な影はまだ薄かった。
Having recovered from his illness, he still only faintly showed traces of his former energetic self.
6Means the background or the other side of something; usually written 陰 (this 影 spelling is nonstandard).
彼はいつも人のかげでこっそり手助けをしていた。
He was always quietly helping people from behind the scenes.
その決定のかげには、社長の強い意向があったらしい。
It seems that behind that decision was the president's strong personal intention.