upstagers

Spotlight hogs onstage

People who upstage others—drawing attention to themselves at someone else's expense.

In theater, to upstage is literally to position yourself upstage (toward the back), forcing other actors to turn away from the audience.

The term extends to anyone who steals the spotlight: The bride's mother was one of the worst upstagers I've ever seen.

theatrical

hams

Cured pig thighs

grandstandersThose seeking public attention
showboatsOstentatious attention-seekers
prima donnasVain, demanding people

attention-seekers · divas · performers · actors · stars · leading ladies · soloists · headliners · egotists · narcissists

competition

rivals

Those who compete

competitorsThose seeking same goal
overtakersThose who pass others
outperformersThose exceeding standard results

surpassers · one-uppers · challengers · usurpers · threats · adversaries · contenders · overachievers · frontrunners · dominators

workplace

colleagues

Professional associates

coworkersPeople at same job
climbersThose who scale heights
backstabbersThose who deceive allies

overreachers · brownnosers · sycophants · politickers · opportunists · careerists · saboteurs · interrupters · manipulators · schemers

Opposites

attention-seeking behavior

upstagerswallflowers

Timid party attendees

shrinking violets · faders · team players

ensemble dynamics

upstagersteam players

Those prioritizing collective success

straight men · feeders · enablers · boosters · lifters

Family

upstage, upstaged, upstages, upstager

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Negative · Everyday, not technical · Rated G