scene-stealer

American  

[seen-stee-ler] / ˈsinˌsti lər /

noun

1. a performer in a play, motion picture, etc., who by charm, talent, or artifice, draws most of the audience's attention, often away from the leading performers.

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Etymology

Origin of scene-stealer

First recorded in 1945–50

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

scene-stealer

She is the undisputed scene-stealer of the movie, a travelogue that is loosely about the Civil War and more directly about the personal travails and love life of its director, Ross McElwee.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

Prince Louis has, at times, been a scene-stealer but the gap-toothed, eight-year-old was on his best behaviour, chatting to his parents as the aircraft flew overhead.

From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026

Rudy may have been the scene-stealer in the earliest seasons of the show, but Theo had the most heart, striving to live up to his parents’ high expectations while behaviorally overcompensating for his low grades.

From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2025

She’s one of the best features in a smallish role in “Migration” and she’s an artful scene-stealer in “Panda 4.”

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 7, 2024

The scene-stealer, though, is Patrick McGoohan as an acerbic secret agent.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2023

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Related Words

• actor
• performer
• star

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