upstage

[ uhp-steyj ]
See synonyms for upstage on Thesaurus.com
adverb
  1. on or toward the back of the stage.

adjective
  1. of, relating to, or located at the back of the stage.

  2. haughtily aloof; supercilious.

verb (used with object),up·staged, up·stag·ing.
  1. to overshadow (another performer) by moving upstage and forcing the performer to turn away from the audience.

  2. to outdo professionally, socially, etc.

  1. to behave snobbishly toward.

noun
  1. the rear half of the stage.

  2. any stage position to the rear of another.

Origin of upstage

1
First recorded in 1905–10; up- + stage

Words Nearby upstage

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use upstage in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for upstage

upstage

/ (ˈʌpˈsteɪdʒ) /


adverb
  1. on, at, or to the rear of the stage

adjective
  1. of or relating to the back half of the stage

  2. informal haughty; supercilious; aloof

verb(tr)
  1. to move upstage of (another actor), thus forcing him to turn away from the audience

  2. informal to draw attention to oneself from (someone else); steal the show from (someone)

  1. informal to treat haughtily

noun
  1. the back half of the stage

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012