overshadow
UK /ˌəʊ.vəˈʃæd.əʊ/ · US /ˌoʊ.vɚˈʃæd.oʊ/ verb
Forms overshadows overshadowing overshadowed
- verb (transitive) To obscure something by casting a shadow.
- verb (transitive) To dominate something and make it seem insignificant.
- verb (transitive) To shelter or protect.
Synonyms
eclipse outshadow outshine outdo put to shame upstage surpass outmatch outstrip dwarf dominate shadow
Etymology
From Middle English overschadwen, overschadewe, from Old English ofersċeadwian (“to overshadow”), equivalent to over- + shadow. Compare with West Frisian oerskaduwe (“to overshadow”), Dutch overschaduwen (“to overshadow”), German überschatten (“to overshadow”), Gothic 𐌿𐍆𐌰𐍂𐍃𐌺𐌰𐌳𐍅𐌾𐌰𐌽 (ufarskadwjan, “to overshadow”), and more distantly, Old Norse yfirskyggja (“to overshadow”), Danish overskygge (“to overshadow”), Swedish överskugga (“to overshadow”), Old English ofersċūwan (“to overshadow”).
Webster’s 1913
- verb To throw a shadow, or shade, over; to darken; to obscure.
- verb Fig.: To cover with a superior influence. Milton.
Etymology [Cf. Overshade.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “overshadow”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details