Library / English Dictionary

UPSTAGE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

The rear part of the stage

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("upstage" is a kind of...):

part; portion (something less than the whole of a human artifact)

Holonyms ("upstage" is a part of...):

stage (a large platform on which people can stand and can be seen by an audience)

 II. (adjective) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Remote in manner

Example:

he was upstage with strangers

Synonyms:

aloof; distant; upstage

Classified under:

Adjectives

Similar:

reserved (marked by self-restraint and reticence)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Of the back half of a stage

Example:

she crossed to the upstage chair forcing the lead to turn his back to the audience

Classified under:

Adjectives

Antonym:

downstage (of the front half of a stage)

 III. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Steal the show, draw attention to oneself away from someone else

Example:

When the dog entered the stage, he upstaged the actress

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Hypernyms (to "upstage" is one way to...):

outshine (attract more attention and praise than others)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sentence example:

Sam cannot upstage Sue

Derivation:

upstager (a selfish actor who upstages the other actors)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Move upstage, forcing the other actors to turn away from the audience

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "upstage" is one way to...):

displace; move (cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Derivation:

upstager (a selfish actor who upstages the other actors)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Treat snobbishly, put in one's place

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "upstage" is one way to...):

do by; handle; treat (interact in a certain way)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

 IV. (adverb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

At or toward the rear of the stage

Example:

the dancers were directed to move upstage

Classified under:

Adverbs

Domain category:

dramatic art; dramatics; dramaturgy; theater; theatre (the art of writing and producing plays)

Antonym:

downstage (at or toward the front of the stage)

Credits