overshadow
Americanverb (used with object)
-
overshadows,
present (3rd person singular)
-
overshadowed,
past participle, past
-
overshadowing
present participle
-
to be more important or significant by comparison.
For years he overshadowed his brother.
-
to cast a shadow over; cover with shadows, clouds, darkness, etc.; darken or obscure.
clouds overshadowing the moon.
-
to make sad or hang heavily over; cast a pall on.
a disappointment that overshadowed their last years.
-
Archaic. to shelter or protect.
verb
-
to render insignificant or less important in comparison
-
to cast a shadow or gloom over
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
overshadowsimple
-
overshadowssimple
-
have overshadowedperfect
-
has overshadowedperfect
-
am overshadowingprogressive
-
are overshadowingprogressive
-
is overshadowingprogressive
-
have been overshadowingperfect progressive
-
has been overshadowingperfect progressive
Past
-
overshadowedsimple
-
had overshadowedperfect
-
was overshadowingprogressive
-
were overshadowingprogressive
-
had been overshadowingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of overshadow
before 900; Middle English overshadewen, Old English ofersceadwian. See over-, shadow
Explanation
To overshadow is to appear more important or larger than something else. Your sister's tendency to interrupt and speak loudly sometimes overshadows what a caring person she is. You can use this verb in a very literal way, to mean "cast a shadow over something smaller," like the enormous oak tree in your yard that overshadows your small house. It's also possible to figuratively overshadow, like when your worry about next week's math test overshadows the happiness you feel waking up to a snow day. One person can overshadow another too, when they appear more interesting, successful, or attractive.
Vocabulary lists containing overshadow
You Call This Democracy?
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Selection Vocabulary 1, Unit 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The artist’s immersive video installation has a disjointed narrative and lack of emotional connection that overshadow its attractive visuals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Anthropic’s investors are reportedly expecting the artificial-intelligence lab to go public next quarter — and overshadow SpaceX’s initial public offering.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
Even more so than Deschamps, a France legend in his own right, Zidane is a figure who can rival - perhaps even overshadow - his own players in terms of star power.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
However the reports published by a media consortium, led by Forbidden Stories, about the Pegasus spyware threatened to overshadow his visit.
From Barron's ● Jul. 16, 2026
Plus, Hoover never wanted his men to overshadow him.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
Read: Rocket Lab’s stock slides as yet another rocket delay overshadows ‘record year’
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 31, 2026
MongoDB plunges as disappointing guidance overshadows better-than-expected fourth-quarter results.
From Barron's ● Mar. 3, 2026
But the other part that’s wired to be with the children you birthed — sometimes that part overshadows it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 20, 2026
Yet the situation overshadows Tuesday's Carabao Cup quarter-final in the Welsh capital, where Chelsea face the League One leaders and are expected to win.
From BBC ● Dec. 15, 2025
The Newton of rhetoric—the one person whose work in this department overshadows the whole history of the subject—was, of course, Aristotle.
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
But the action was overshadowed by the reaction to Fernandez's second-half appearance, less than 24 hours after Chelsea's self-imposed transfer deadline had passed.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
The web of taxpayer money has gone unseen, overshadowed by more obviously egregious state laws.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
The video’s storyline, in which the 33-year-old pop singer gets “Carrie”-style revenge for men’s misogynist judgments, was completely overshadowed by fan alarm at Grande’s apparent emaciation.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026
All of that momentum, and the staggering amount of talent on the roster, have overshadowed the Dodgers’ recent poor play.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
Just in time he threw himself down in a patch of long grass behind a tree that overshadowed the road.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
Peloton issued a muted revenue outlook for its new fiscal year as subscriber losses continue to deepen, overshadowing quarterly profit gains and virtually flat revenue.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Leveraged ETFs and their siblings, inverse funds, are risky, and their frenzied proliferation that kicked into overdrive 2025 may be overshadowing their big jump in closures this year.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
"I can no longer get my message out because another debate is overshadowing everything else," Wegner said Friday.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
Bullingham also made clear that the FA was keen to avoid the scenario of uncertainty over its manager's future overshadowing the World Cup.
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026
Nowhere had I to stand, no way of climbing, the root and bole being far below, and far above my head the branches and their leaves, massed, overshadowing Kharybdis pool.
From "The Odyssey" by Homer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
