upstage
pronunciation
How to pronounce upstage in British English:
UK [ˌʌpˈsteɪdʒ]
How to pronounce upstage in American English:
US [ˈʌpˈstedʒ]
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- Verb:
- treat snobbishly, put in one's place
- move (another actor) upstage, forcing him to turn away from the audience
- steal the show, draw attention to oneself away from someone else
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- Adjective:
- of the back half of a stage
- remote in manner
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- Adverb:
- at or toward the rear of the stage
Word Origin
- upstage (adv.)
- 1855 in theatrical jargon, "to the rear of the stage," from up (adv.) + stage (n.). From 1901 as an adjective, 1916 as a noun. The notion in the verb (1921) is of drawing attention to oneself (and away from a fellow actor) by moving upstage, so that the other actor must face away from the audience. Related: Upstaged; upstaging.
Antonym
Example
- 1. So how did the young geniuses upstage the old masters ?
- 2. A vice president who repeatedly tried to upstage the president .
- 3. He looks upstage to where the body is lying .
- 4. He seems to be attempting to upstage the prime minister .
- 5. He avoided newsmen 's microphones and went out of his way not to upstage his superior .