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:
That exchange came after several chaotic days in which the role of UFC and Zuffa Boxing chief Dana White had threatened to overshadow the fight.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
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
No amount of spire-fighting trophies could overshadow that.
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
“It’s a big week, but Nvidia overshadows everything.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 2026
Read: Rocket Lab’s stock slides as yet another rocket delay overshadows ‘record year’
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 31, 2026
In an August quarterly earnings call, Beyond Chief Executive Ethan Brown said the shortened name “provides for reduced emphasis on facsimile, a now-complicated frame that overshadows the real, high-quality protein offerings we provide to consumers.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 10, 2026
MongoDB plunges as disappointing guidance overshadows better-than-expected fourth-quarter results.
From Barron's ● Mar. 3, 2026
“The American public got a slight taste of the fear which overshadows the people of Europe constantly.”
From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow
To his supporters, Vucic represents stability, development and patriotism in a country long overshadowed by the bloody wars of the 1990s and the international isolation that followed.
From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026
In recent weeks, those fundraising efforts have been overshadowed by the much larger influx of money being collected by labor unions, business groups, real estate developers and others looking to boost their favored mayoral candidate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
Sandro Tonali, the £100m midfielder from Newcastle, was overshadowed by Villa's tenacious skipper McGinn - a £2.75m buy from Hibs eight years ago.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
"Phobos' gravity field is strongly overshadowed by Mars' gravity field," says Haser.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026
Papa-Nnukwu’s death had overshadowed everything, pushed Papa’s face into a vague place.
From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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
To be sure, the surge in the size and number of monster deals could be overshadowing other money-raising efforts from smaller companies and investment by smaller funds, industry experts said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
Growing expectations of Fed interest-rate hikes are overshadowing signs of progress in U.S.-Iran negotiations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
Cashman says some of the children prescribed hormone treatments had also been diagnosed with conditions such as autism and ADHD, and the focus on gender medication risked overshadowing their wider health needs.
From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026
At one end of the pool, completely overshadowing it with its branches, there grew the hugest and most beautiful tree that Shasta had ever seen.
From "The Horse and His Boy" by C.S. Lewis
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.
