Words / B2

ohv-uh-SHAD-oh/ˌəʊvəˈʃædəʊ/

To overshadow is to make a person or event seem less important; also to cast a shadow over: overshadowed by; overshadow a rival. Eclipse is a close twin; dwarf is informal for size. Do not write overshadow for a weather caption. Mix-up: overshadow vs shadow as a noun only; overshadow vs overshow; do not write overshadow for two equal headlines with no ranking in the source.

Meaning

To make a person or event seem less important; also to cast a shadow over.

Examples

• “Do not write overshadow for a weather caption; name the event that took the headlines.”
• “The scandal overshadowed the launch, which is still two named events — quote the dates.”

Good to know

overshadowed by; overshadow a rival / an event. Close: eclipse / dwarf. Literal shade: only if the source names a building or tree blocking light. Trap: a weather note / two equal stories. News, history, and English. Steal the importance — name both events, and which one dominated.

Near in meaning

eclipse, dwarf, outshine

New