A candlestick wick, also called a shadow, is the thin line extending above or below the body. An upper wick shows price reached a high and was pushed back down; a lower wick shows price reached a low and was pushed back up. Wicks record rejected territory.
How it works
The upper wick is the distance from the body's top to the high; the lower wick is the distance from the body's bottom to the low.
Long wicks reflect strong rejection: buyers or sellers pushed price somewhere, and the other side denied it before the close.
Why it matters
Wicks show where price tried to go and was denied, which is useful evidence when the level tested matters in the broader structure.
But a wick alone never guarantees a reversal. The same wick in the middle of a range can be noise, while the same wick at a major support can be meaningful.
A simple market example
An hourly candle closes near its low with a very long upper wick. Mechanically, price pushed upward during the hour and encountered heavy selling pressure that drove it back down. Whether that matters depends on whether the high was a significant resistance level.
Common mistakes
Treating a long wick as a guaranteed reversal signal. It only records rejection inside one window.
Ignoring the body. A small body with long wicks and a long body with no wicks describe very different battles.
Frequently asked questions
Are wick and shadow the same thing?
Yes. The terms are interchangeable; both refer to the thin lines above and below the body.
Do longer wicks predict bigger reversals?
No. A long wick shows stronger rejection in that window, but the outcome still depends on market context.
What is a doji?
A candle with a very small body where open and close are nearly equal, often leaving long wicks on one or both sides.
Educational content only. Definitions describe common market usage and may vary by jurisdiction, instrument, or institution.