overshadow
pronunciation
How to pronounce overshadow in British English:
UK [ˌəʊvəˈʃædəʊ]
How to pronounce overshadow in American English:
US [ˌoʊvərˈʃædoʊ]
-
- Verb:
- exceed in importance; outweigh
- make appear small by comparison
- cast a shadow upon
Word Origin
- overshadow (v.)
- Old English ofersceadwian "to cast a shadow over, obscure;" see over + shadow (v.). It was used to render Latin obumbrare in New Testament, as were Middle High German überschatewen, Middle Dutch overschaduwen, Gothic ufarskadwjan. Figurative sense is from 1580s. Related: Overshadowed; overshadowing.
Example
- 1. The increasing violence of that conflict is threatening to overshadow much of the other good work .
- 2. It was at this point that mr. jackson 's bizarre private life began to overshadow his music .
- 3. The fallout over tibet and growing anti-western sentiment in china is threatening to overshadow today 's inauguration of a new top-level dialogue between beijing and brussels in the chinese capital .
- 4. Ore successful work surrounding the errors tends to overshadow the goofs .
- 5. That issue is now sure to overshadow next month 's eu-russia summit .