Upstaged

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To have one's achievements or presence eclipsed by another's greater display of talent or recognition
2. To experience a diminishing of one's importance due to another's superior performance or highlight in a scenario
3. To be overshadowed by someone else's superior ability or presence during an event

Etymology: The stage itself is the origin here. Many theatres were built on a slope, called a raked stage, so the back of the stage sat higher than the front. Because a position upstage, toward the back, was the one that drew the most eyes, an actor who moved there could pull attention away from fellow performers. "Upstage" took on that sense of drawing focus, and it later gained a figurative sense of haughtiness, as in an arrogant person looking down on others. The verb is formed simply from "up" and "stage," with "upstaged" as its past tense and past participle. Its usage remains tied to the theatre: actors upstage a colleague when they grab attention at a moment when the production does not call for it. The "up" in the name refers to that higher, more visible ground, not to any idea of rising in status.

Synonyms: outshone, outperformed, overshadowed

Antonyms: highlighted, featured