overshadow

From Middle English overshadwen, overshadewen, from Old English ofersceadwian. Calque of Latin obumbrō, from ob (“over”) + umbrō (“shade”). Equivalent to over- +‎ shadow. Compare Dutch overschaduwen, German überschatten.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌəʊ.vəˈʃæd.əʊ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌoʊ.vɚˈʃæd.oʊ/

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• Rhymes: -ædəʊ

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.
   • 2017 August 13, Brandon Nowalk, “Oldtown offers one last game-changing secret as Game Of Thrones goes behind enemy lines (newbies)”, in The Onion AV Club‎:

     It’s surely consequential that Jon has a claim to the throne, whether he knows about it or not, but all of that is overshadowed by his immediate circumstances, which are that Jon Snow is leading a raiding party beyond the Wall to kidnap a wight.

3. (transitive) To shelter or protect.

• (dominate): eclipse, outshadow, outshine, outdo, put to shame, upstage, surpass, outmatch, outstrip, dwarf