Past tense of dwarf: made something appear smaller or less important by comparison, or stunted the growth of something.
From the verb 'dwarf,' which comes from Old English 'dweorg' meaning a mythical small creature. The verb sense developed from the idea that dwarves make other things seem smaller by contrast.
The verb 'dwarfed' became hugely popular in modern writing—skyscrapers 'dwarfed' older buildings, creating this awesome visual metaphor borrowed from fantasy creatures!
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