# overshadow

> English word · Verb · IPA /ˌəʊ.vəˈʃæd.əʊ/ · frequency rank #41,295

## Definitions
1. To obscure something by casting a shadow.
2. To dominate something and make it seem insignificant.
3. To shelter or protect.

## Etymology
From Middle English overschadwen, overschadewe, from Old English ofersċeadwian (“to overshadow”), equivalent to over- + shadow. Compare with West Frisian oerskaduwe (“to overshadow”), Dutch overschaduwen (“to overshadow”), German überschatten (“to overshadow”), Gothic 𐌿𐍆𐌰𐍂𐍃𐌺𐌰𐌳𐍅𐌾𐌰𐌽 (ufarskadwjan, “to overshadow”), and more distantly, Old Norse yfirskyggja (“to overshadow”), Danish overskygge (“to overshadow”), Swedish överskugga (“to overshadow”), Old English ofersċūwan (“to overshadow”).

## Common misspellings (15)
`oevrshadow`, `overhsadow`, `overrshadow`, `oversahdow`, `overshaddow`, `overshadoww`, `overshadwo`, `overshaodw`, `overshdaow`, `overshhadow`, `oversshadow`, `ovesrhadow`, `ovreshadow`, `ovvershadow`, `voershadow`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/overshadow