Meaning of Idiom ‘Steal Someone’s Thunder’
1. To steal someone’s thunder means to use or appropriate their idea and so earn the praise that they were expecting;
2. To steal someone’s idea or plan and profit or gain advantage from it.
3. To prematurely announce something that someone else was going to announce, and so get the attention or enjoy the reaction or excitement that they were expecting.
4. To get attention on oneself mean for someone else by doing something that undermines their ability to do it, such as making a similar announcement to one they were planning to make.
5. To lessen someone’s authority or their ability to exert it. 1Ashcraft, Brian. Jargonaut Express: Essential Idioms for the Astute Business Speaker. N.p., Lulu Press, Incorporated, 2014.,2Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.,3Spears, Richard A. McGraw-Hill’s American Idioms Dictionary. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2008.
How To Use The Idiom ‘Steal Someone’s Thunder’
The idiom steal/stole someone’s thunder can be used seriously but it is often used humorously in regards to trivial but exciting announcements. Similar idioms are steal the limelight and steal the spotlight.
Sentence Examples
“We were getting ready to announce our engagement when Robby and Becky stole our thunder by telling everyone Becky was pregnant.”
“You kind of stole my thunder there. I was going to tell them the big news.”
“He would have been the President of the company by now if he didn’t constantly allow his brother in law to steal his thunder.”
“Wyatt, why didn’t you tell us you’re running for congress?” “Well, we didn’t want to steal your thunder.” “Steal my thunder?” — Parks and Recreation: Donna and Joe (2015)
“What’s with him?” “Sympathy pains. It was sweet at first, but now I think he’s trying to steal my thunder.” — Friends: The One Hundredth (1998)
“This is my only thing. O my God, this is my only thing. And then you come along and you steal my thunder with your tight dresses and your great ideas.” — Modern Family: Dance Dance Revelation (2010)
“Look, Todd cannot come in here and steal my thunder. I mean, I’m the frigging President of the United States of America, for God’s sake.” — The Last Man on Earth, Moovin In (2015)
“Now, I’m thinking that high priest is actually Osiris.” “Kind of stole my thunder there, Tess.” — Smallville: Isis (2010)
Origin
The idiom ‘steal someone’s thunder’ is said to have come from an incident involving a theator critic, and sometimes playwright, named
John Dennis, who, in 1704, wrote and staged a play called “Appius and Virginia at the Drury Lane Theatre. His plan was not only to put on a successful play, but to wow the audience with his new invention: a better way to produce the sound-effect of thunder. Prior to this, thunder had been simulated in plays by shaking a large, thin metal sheet while striking it with a mallet for a thunderous effect. Denniss’ method was simpler. He used metal balls rolling around in a wooden bowl.
Unfortunately, he new sound-effect didn’t wow the audience enough that they enjoyed his play and it had a truncated run in the theater. When Mr. Dennis, however, went to a showing of Macbeth soon after, he was aghast to find that they were using his new method for producing thunder. He is said to have stoop up in a state of absolute agitation and shouted “That is my thunder, by God; the villains will play my thunder but not my play!” Another version of his statement, and the one that obviously coined the idiom is “Damn them! They will not let my play run, but they steal my thunder!”
The similar expressions steal the spotlight and steal the limelight also come from the theater. 4Ashcraft, Brian. Jargonaut Express: Essential Idioms for the Astute Business Speaker. N.p., Lulu Press, Incorporated, 2014.
