1. Steal the show, draw attention to oneself away from someone else
   "When the dog entered the stage, he upstaged the actress"
    
2. Move upstage, forcing the other actors to turn away from the audience
   "The diva constantly upstaged her co-stars"
    
3. Treat snobbishly, put in one's place
   "The senior actor upstaged the newcomer during the press conference"

1. The rear part of the stage
   "The actor moved upstage to allow others to be more visible"

1. Of the back half of a stage
   "she crossed to the upstage chair forcing the lead to turn his back to the audience"
    
2. [archaic] Emotionally or socially detached, reserved, or unfriendly
   "he was upstage with strangers";
   - aloof, distant, remote

1. At or toward the rear of the stage
   "the dancers were directed to move upstage"

Derived forms: upstaged, upstages, upstaging

See also: reserved

Type of: displace, do by [Brit], handle, move, outshine, part, portion, treat

Antonym: downstage

Part of: stage

Encyclopedia: Upstage