stiːl ðə ʃoʊ
General
informal
beginner
- Literally:
- Taking the entire theatrical show
What does "steal the show" mean?
- To attract the most attention and praise
- To outperform everyone else
Examples
- The flower girl stole the show at the wedding.
- Her speech stole the show at the conference.
- The special effects stole the show in that movie.
Origin
From theater—a performer who gets more attention than the stars 'steals' the show from them.
How to use it
Usually positive—admiration for outstanding performance. Common in entertainment and events.
Similar expressions
be the star
outshine
take center stage
stand out
Opposites
blend in
go unnoticed
fade into background
Related idioms
- actions speak louder than words
What people do is more important than what they say
- better safe than sorry
It's better to be careful and prevent problems than to take risks
- so far so good
Things have gone well up to now
- easier said than done
Something is more difficult to do than to talk about
- make a long story short
To summarize or get to the point
- to make matters worse
In addition to existing problems
Use it in a practice answer
Try "steal the show" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.