overshadow

WOTD – 21 February 2008    

English

Etymology

Old English ofersceadwian, from ofer- (“over-”) + sceadwian (“cover with shade”), a calque of Latin obumbrō, from ob (“over”) + umbrō (“shade”). Compare Dutch overschaduwen, German überschatten.

Pronunciation

• (RP) IPA: /ˌəʊ.vəˈʃæd.əʊ/
• (US) IPA: /ˌoʊ.vɚˈʃæd.oʊ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ædəʊ

Verb

overshadow (third-person singular simple present overshadows, present participle overshadowing, simple past and past participle overshadowed)

1. (transitive) To obscure something by casting a shadow.
2. (transitive) To dominate something and make it seem insignificant.

Translations

to obscure something by casting a shadow

• Czech: zastínit (cs)
• Finnish: varjostaa (fi)
• French: ombrager (fr)
• German: überschatten (de)

• Latin: obumbrō (la)
• Norwegian: overskygge (no)
• Serbo-Croatian: zasjeniti (sh)
• Spanish: asombrar (es)

to dominate something and make it seem insignificant

• Czech: zastínit (cs)
• French: éclipser (fr) (la gloire, une personne)
• German: überschatten (de)
• Norwegian: overskygge (no)

• Serbo-Croatian: zasjeniti (sh)
• Spanish: eclipsar (es) (persona, éxito), deslucir (es) (ocasión)
• Swedish: överskugga (sv)