upstage
/ʌpˈsteɪdʒ/ (bre, ipa) · [əpstˈedʒ] /ʌpˈsteɪdʒ/ (ame, ipa) · [əpstˈedʒ] /ˈəp-ˈstāj How to pronounce upstage (audio)/ (ame, mw) · [əpstˈedʒ] /ˈʌp.steɪdʒ/ (ame, ipa)
upstage — verb
- upstagepresent simple I / you / we / they
- upstages3rd person singular
- upstaging-ing form
- upstagedpast simple
1. to make people notice you, or something connected with you, more than another pe
to make people notice you, or something connected with you, more than another person, so that the other person seems less impressive.
Noor upstaged the host by singing before the awards were announced.
upstage + person by doing something more striking
The red carpet drama upstaged the director's new film at Cannes.
A surprise fireworks show upstaged the bride and groom after dinner.
Christopher worried that his jokes would upstage the lead actor.
- outshine
focuses on looking more impressive, often without the negative social tone
- overshadow
can be caused by bad news or a problem, not only by a stronger performer
- steal the show
more informal and usually strongly positive
文法句型
upstage + person/event
joke/scandal/performance + upstage + noun
be upstaged by + noun
用法筆記
Often suggests an unwanted shift in attention, especially at performances, public events, or ceremonies. The subject is usually a person, a dramatic action, or bad news that makes someone else look less important.
常見錯誤
2. to move farther toward the back of the stage so another actor has to twist aroun
to move farther toward the back of the stage so another actor has to twist around and stop facing the crowd directly.
During rehearsal, Faisal upstaged Nora by drifting behind her during the speech.
theatre use: move behind another actor
The director warned Jisoo not to upstage Antonia in the trial scene.
One careless step can upstage the actor beside you near center stage.
Hoa accidentally upstaged Baraka by crossing behind him too soon.
- pull focus from
wider theatre phrase for taking attention, but less exact about stage position
- misblock
production jargon for placing movement badly, not always by moving farther back
- share the line of sight
to keep the blocking fair so both actors face the audience well
文法句型
upstage + actor
upstage + scene partner by + moving behind them
用法筆記
This is a technical theatre sense about physical blocking, not about fame or public attention. It usually describes an actor moving too far back and making a scene partner face away from the audience.
常見錯誤
3. to put someone down with a cold, superior attitude that makes them feel small or
to put someone down with a cold, superior attitude that makes them feel small or unwelcome.
The senior chef upstaged the trainee with a cutting remark in class.
upstage + person with a superior remark
Lauren felt upstaged when the buyer ignored her questions completely.
feel upstaged by someone else's superior behaviour
Baraka's cousin tried to upstage him by mocking his accent at dinner.
The club manager upstaged new members with a stiff, superior smile.
- snub
focuses on coldly ignoring someone rather than acting grander than them
- look down on
plain expression for treating someone as socially lower
- patronize
suggests talking to someone as if they were less capable
文法句型
upstage + person
upstage + person with + superior behaviour
用法筆記
This sense is about attitude rather than attention from a crowd. It often appears when someone behaves as if they are above other people and deliberately makes them uncomfortable.
upstage — adverb
1. in the zone nearest the back wall of a theatre, away from the audience.
in the zone nearest the back wall of a theatre, away from the audience.
The dancers waited upstage while the curtain rose on the choir.
move or stay + upstage
A bench stood upstage beside the painted kitchen door.
The lantern rolled upstage after Nora brushed the tablecloth.
Please step upstage so the front row can see the baby.
- toward the back
plain description outside theatre jargon
- downstage
toward the front of the stage
文法句型
move/step/wait + upstage
用法筆記
Used as a stage direction or spatial description in theatre. It points away from the audience, opposite downstage.
upstage — adjective
- upstagepositive
- more upstagecomparative
- most upstagesuperlative
1. showing a cold, superior attitude that keeps other people at a distance.
showing a cold, superior attitude that keeps other people at a distance.
The actress gave reporters an upstage smile and walked into the lift.
collocation: upstage smile / manner / tone
His upstage manner made the younger staff avoid the office kitchen.
Noor sounded upstage when she corrected the waiter in public.
The designer's upstage tone spoiled what should have been a warm welcome.
文法句型
upstage + look/tone/manner
用法筆記
Mostly describes behaviour, expression, or tone rather than permanent character. It is close to haughty, but often carries a slightly theatrical or affected flavour.
2. describing something placed in or belonging to the back area of a theatre stage.
describing something placed in or belonging to the back area of a theatre stage.
The upstage wall was painted to look like old brick.
upstage + stage feature
A narrow upstage platform held the drummer and two speakers.
The stage manager checked the upstage lights before the audience entered.
Props for the storm scene were stacked in the upstage corner.
- rear-stage
descriptive label with the same staging idea, though less standard
- downstage
describes the front area of the stage
文法句型
upstage + wall/corner/lights/door
用法筆記
This theatre sense usually modifies a noun naming part of the set or stage space. It does not describe social attitude like sense 1.
upstage — noun
1. the back section of a theatre stage, opposite the audience and nearest the back
the back section of a theatre stage, opposite the audience and nearest the back wall.
The piano was moved to the upstage before the final chorus began.
to the upstage = to the rear stage area
Smoke drifted across the upstage as the battle scene started.
A hidden door in the upstage opened for the ghost entrance.
The director watched from the wings and pointed at the upstage.
- rear stage area
plain descriptive phrase rather than theatre shorthand
- downstage
the front part of the stage nearest the audience
文法句型
the upstage
in/across/to + the upstage
用法筆記
Usually appears with 'the' because it names a fixed part of the stage. It is a theatre-space noun, not the verb about stealing attention.