word
Greek
Eclipse
lit. “abandonment, failure to appear”
To overshadow or outshine — usually unwillingly on the eclipsed party's part.
Origin
Astronomically, an eclipse is one body blocking light from another — solar (Moon blocks Sun) or lunar (Earth's shadow falls on the Moon). Total eclipses were ancient omens of disaster and have driven scientific tourism for centuries.
Modern usage
Used as a verb for being outshone — a sibling, a successor, a competing product. 'He was eclipsed by his younger brother's success.'
Tags
overshadow
rivalry