live in the shadow of
The idiom "live in the shadow of" often describes a situation where someone feels overshadowed or dominated by another person, event, or influence.
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Definition
B2Personal Relationships
(idiomatic)To feel less important or recognized due to the prominence or success of another person, often a relative or predecessor.
Example
- She always felt like she was living in the shadow of her older sister, who was a star athlete.
C1Psychological
(idiomatic)To live with the constant influence of fear, anxiety, or painful memories from a past event.
Example
- The community still lives in the shadow of the devastating earthquake that struck ten years ago.
C1Spiritual
(idiomatic)To exist under the guidance and protection of a spiritual figure or mentor.
Example
- He felt safe living in the shadow of his spiritual mentor, who provided constant guidance.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "live in the shadow of":
in the shadow ofcast a shadowshadow workunder a cloudhide behindlive inlive withlive under a rocklive on the edgelive in the pastthrow shade