Contextualizebeta

steal someone's thunder

verb

Etymology

Based on a 1704 quote of John Dennis, a literary critic and playwright, who invented a novel method for creating a sound effect for thunder. The play in which he first introduced this method flopped. When the next play shown in the theatre, Macbeth, used his technique for simulating thunder, Dennis was reported in the press as jumping up and crying "How these rascals use me! They will not have my play, yet steal my thunder."

Definitions

  1. To appropriate someone's ideas or information, typically in order to look better at that…

    To appropriate someone's ideas or information, typically in order to look better at that person's expense.

    • There are several upstarts, who, without the genius to invent a style, have been copying yours, and trying to steal your thunder.
    • It also serves to give someone else an opportunity to steal your thunder if he considers there is any amount of thunder in it.
    • The sense of accomplishment is yours to enjoy, and nobody can steal your thunder. Even I couldn't take credit for your weight loss under my own plan, because you're the one who will do the accomplishing.

  2. To detract from someone's accomplishments or glory

    To detract from someone's accomplishments or glory; to undermine.

    • Can Your Competition Steal Your Thunder? Make sure that your competitors can't undermine your statement.
    • Rather than stealing their thunder, that strategy has served only to make them look to more and more voters like an increasingly viable and legitimate option.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for steal someone's thunder. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA