Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense upstages, present participle upstaging, past tense, past participle upstaged
1. adverb [ADVERB after verb, beADVERB]
When an actor is upstage or moves upstage, he or she is or moves towards the back part of the stage.
[technical]
Upstage and right of centre, Robert Morris stands with his back to the audience.
Position a camera upstage.
They slowly moved from upstage left into the centre.
Upstage is also an adjective.
...the large upstage box that he used for his production of King Lear.
2. verb
If someone upstages you, they draw attention away from you by being more attractive or interesting.
He had a younger brother who always publicly upstaged him. [VERB noun]
He upstages her by flirting with other women. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: outshine, top, eclipse, overshadow More Synonyms of upstage
upstage in British English
(ˈʌpˈsteɪdʒ)
adverb
1.
on, at, or to the rear of the stage
adjective
2.
of or relating to the back half of the stage
3. informal
haughty; supercilious; aloof
verb(transitive)
4.
to move upstage of (another actor), thus forcing him or her to turn away from the audience
5. informal
to draw attention to oneself from (someone else); steal the show from (someone)
6. informal
to treat haughtily
noun
7.
the back half of the stage
upstage in American English
(ˈʌpˌsteɪdʒ; for v., ʌpˈsteɪdʒ)
adverb
1.
toward or at the rear of a stage
adjective
2.
of or having to do with the rear of a stage
3.
haughtily or disdainfully aloof
verb transitiveWord forms: upˈstaged or upˈstaging
4.
to draw the attention of the audience away from (a fellow actor) and to oneself by moving upstage so that the other actor must face away from the audience
5.
to draw attention to oneself at the expense of (another) as by treating disdainfully
Examples of 'upstage' in a sentence
upstage
And other celebs have upstaged brides too.
The Sun (2016)
He dresses so cool, he has to be careful not to upstage the bride.
The Sun (2011)
But you don't want to upstage the bride.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
I was very cross that she had upstaged the bride.
The Sun (2009)
The picture was viewed more than 2m times and provoked a wave of sympathy for the unknown but obviously upstaged bride.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
(verb)
Definition
to draw attention to oneself and away from someone else
He had a younger brother who always publicly upstaged him.
Synonyms
outshine
He outshone all the other contestants.
top
How are you ever going to top that?
eclipse
The gramophone was eclipsed by the compact disc.
overshadow
She overshadows all the other members of the cast.
surpass
He was determined to surpass the achievements of his older brothers.
transcend
issues like EU membership that transcend party loyalty
outstrip
In pursuing her ambition she outstripped everyone else.
outdo
Both sides have tried to outdo each other.
outclass
This story outclasses anything written by her contemporaries.
be superior to
be head and shoulders above
leave or put in the shade
Additional synonyms
in the sense of eclipse
Definition
to overshadow or surpass
The gramophone was eclipsed by the compact disc.
Synonyms
surpass,
exceed,
overshadow,
excel,
transcend,
outdo,
outclass,
outshine,
leave or put in the shade (informal)
in the sense of outclass
Definition
to surpass (someone) in performance or quality
This story outclasses anything written by her contemporaries.
Synonyms
surpass,
top,
beat,
cap (informal),
exceed,
eclipse,
overshadow,
excel,
transcend,
outstrip,
outdo,
outshine,
leave standing (informal),
tower above,
go one better than (informal),
be a cut above (informal),
run rings around (informal),
outdistance,
outrank,
leave or put in the shade
in the sense of outdo
Definition
to be more successful or better than (someone or something) in performance
Both sides have tried to outdo each other.
Synonyms
surpass,
best,
top,
beat,
overcome,
exceed,
eclipse,
overshadow,
excel,
transcend,
outstrip,
get the better of,
outclass,
outshine,
tower above,
outsmart,
outmanoeuvre,
go one better than (informal),
run rings around (informal),
outfox,
outdistance,
be one up on,
score points off,
put in the shade,
outjockey
Synonyms of 'upstage'
upstage
Explore 'upstage' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of outstrip
Definition
to surpass (someone) in a particular activity
In pursuing her ambition she outstripped everyone else.
Synonyms
surpass,
beat,
leave behind,
eclipse,
overtake,
best,
top,
better,
overshadow,
outdo,
outclass,
outperform,
outshine,
leave standing (informal),
tower above,
get ahead of,
go one better than (informal),
run rings around,
knock spots off (informal),
put in the shade
in the sense of overshadow
Definition
to make (someone or something) seem insignificant or less important by comparison
She overshadows all the other members of the cast.
Synonyms
outshine,
eclipse,
surpass,
dwarf,
rise above,
upstage,
outclass,
take precedence over,
be superior to,
tower above,
be head and shoulders above,
steal the limelight from,
leave or put in the shade,
render insignificant by comparison,
throw into the shade
in the sense of surpass
Definition
to be greater in extent than or superior in achievement to (something or someone)
He was determined to surpass the achievements of his older brothers.
Synonyms
outdo,
top,
beat,
best,
cap (informal),
exceed,
eclipse,
overshadow,
excel,
transcend,
outstrip,
outshine,
tower above,
go one better than (informal),
put in the shade
in the sense of top
Definition
to exceed or surpass
How are you ever going to top that?
Synonyms
surpass,
better,
beat,
improve on,
cap,
exceed,
best,
eclipse,
trump,
go beyond,
excel,
transcend,
outstrip,
outdo,
outshine,
go one better than
in the sense of transcend
Definition
to overcome or be superior to
issues like EU membership that transcend party loyalty