Meaning
To draw attention away from someone by performing or presenting yourself more strikingly; to overshadow a person who expected to be the centre of attention. Now used far beyond the theatre of colleagues, guests, outfits and even pets, and it usually implies mild scene-stealing rather than simple excellence. Informal to neutral; often carries a hint of deliberate scene-stealing, so applied to a person it can sound accusatory. Regional use: General English (theatrical origin).
Origin
From stage terminology. Stages were historically raked, rising away from the audience, so the rear of the stage was 'upstage' and the front 'downstage'; 'upstage' as a theatrical direction is recorded from 1855 in stage jargon (Etymonline). The verb rests on a documented piece of stagecraft: an actor who drifted upstage forced the actors playing opposite to turn upstage to face them, and so partly away from the audience, surrendering the crowd's attention while the mover collected it. Etymonline dates the verb to 1921; Random House (via Dictionary.com) dates it 1905-10, so the first record falls somewhere in the early 20th century. From theatre gossip the word spread by mid-century to any social or professional act of outshining.
Research Sources
References used to check this entry’s meaning, history, or documented forms.
Variants
- get upstaged
- upstage somebody
- upstage the competition
- upstaging
Usage Examples
- The junior minister upstaged the prime minister by announcing the policy change a day early.
- Nobody expected the bride's grandmother to upstage the entire wedding party, but her toast silenced the room.
- Go easy on the floral arrangements at the product launch; the decorations shouldn't upstage the prototype.