What does "upstage" mean?
The part of a stage that is farthest from the audience or camera.
Upstage
/ʌpˈsteɪd͡ʒ/ adj, adv, noun, verb
adj, adv, noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The part of a stage that is farthest from the audience or camera.
- Grammar: upstage is listed as adj, adv, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: act, act as foil, aloof, appear.
- Useful contrasts: downstage, downplay, downstage area.
- Usage evidence: No, I can no longer allow you to upstage me!
How to use "upstage"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "upstage" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "upstage" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "upstage" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "upstage" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "upstage" is acting as adj, adv, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "act" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "upstage", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The part of a stage that is farthest from the audience or camera. uncountable
- 2 the rear part of the stage wordnet
Verb
- 1 To draw attention away from others, especially on-stage. figuratively, transitive
"She only wore that dress to upstage everyone."
- 2 steal the show, draw attention to oneself away from someone else wordnet
- 3 To force other actors to face away from the audience by staying upstage. transitive
- 4 move upstage, forcing the other actors to turn away from the audience wordnet
- 5 To treat snobbishly. broadly, transitive
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 treat snobbishly, put in one's place wordnet
- 7 To restage upward; to restage (a case of a disease, usually a cancer) to a higher stage than that found at last assessment. transitive
"Almost one-third of patients were upstaged after re-exploration, three-quarters of whom actually had stage III disease."
Adjective
- 1 At the rear of a stage.
"The minimalist play used no upstage scenery."
- 2 Haughty, aloof. figuratively, obsolete
"If she hasn't time for this or that, if she refuses to make or keep appointments, if her face does not greet all comers with a sweet and charming smile, then the word is passed around that ‘So-and-So is getting high-hat and up-stage.’"
Adjective
- 1 remote in manner wordnet
- 2 of the back half of a stage wordnet
Adverb
- 1 Toward or at the rear of a theatrical stage.
"The actor turned and walked upstage."
- 2 Away from the audience or camera.
Adverb
- 1 at or toward the rear of the stage wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"No, I can no longer allow you to upstage me!"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "upstage"?
Common synonyms include: act, act as foil, aloof, appear, arrogant, back stage area.
How do you use "upstage" in a sentence?
No, I can no longer allow you to upstage me!
How do you pronounce "upstage"?
Pronounced /ʌpˈsteɪd͡ʒ/.
Etymology
From up- + stage. The figurative uses “haughty” and “to draw attention away” derive from actors moving to a higher and thus more visible position on a sloped stage.