display
Americanverb (used with object)
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displays,
present (3rd person singular)
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displayed,
past participle, past
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displaying
present participle
-
to show or exhibit; make visible.
to display a sign.
- Antonyms:
- conceal
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to reveal; betray.
to display fear.
- Antonyms:
- conceal
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to unfold; open out; spread out.
to display a sail.
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to show ostentatiously; flaunt.
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Printing. to give special prominence to (words, captions, etc.) by choice, size, and arrangement of type.
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Digital Technology. to output (data) on a screen.
verb (used without object)
-
displays,
present (3rd person singular)
-
displayed,
past participle, past
-
displaying
present participle
noun
-
displays
plural
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an act or instance of displaying; exhibition.
a display of courage.
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an ostentatious show.
a vulgar display of wealth.
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Printing.
-
the giving of prominence to particular words, sentences, etc., by the choice, size, and arrangement of types and position, as in an advertisement, headline, or news story.
-
printed matter thus displayed.
-
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an arrangement, as of merchandise, art objects, or flowers, designed to please the eye, attract buyers, etc.
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Digital Technology.
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the visual representation of the output of an electronic device.
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the portion of an electronic device that shows this representation, as a screen, lens, or reticle.
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Animal Behavior.
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a pattern of behavior, as posturing, calling, or exposing a color patch, that conveys information to individuals of the same or another species.
a threat display.
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an instance of such behavior.
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verb
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(tr) to show or make visible
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(tr) to disclose or make evident; reveal
to display anger
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(tr) to flaunt in an ostentatious way
to display military might
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(tr) to spread or open out; unfurl or unfold
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(tr) to give prominence to (headings, captions, etc) by the use of certain typefaces
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(intr) zoology to engage in a display
noun
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the act of exhibiting or displaying; show
a display of fear
-
something exhibited or displayed
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an ostentatious or pretentious exhibition
a display of his accomplishments
-
-
an arrangement of certain typefaces to give prominence to headings, captions, advertisements, etc
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printed matter that is eye-catching
-
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electronics
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a device capable of representing information visually, as on a cathode-ray tube screen
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the information so presented
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zoology a pattern of behaviour in birds, fishes, etc, by which the animal attracts attention while it is courting the female, defending its territory, etc
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(modifier) relating to or using typefaces that give prominence to the words they are used to set
Usage
What does display mean? To display is to make visible or show to others, as in Francis’s teacher displayed his homework on the “Good Job!” board. A display is an arrangement or showing, as in The art display included paintings and sketches by the famous artist. To display can also mean to reveal or betray, as when you display your feelings with the look on your face. Less commonly, to display means to unfold or spread out, the way a sail does in the wind. Example: We bought the display model so we ended up saving a few dollars.
Synonym Usage
Display, evince, exhibit, manifest mean to show or bring to the attention of another or others. To display is literally to spread something out so that it may be most completely and favorably seen: to display goods for sale. To exhibit is to display something in a show: to exhibit the best flowers. They may both be used for showing (off ) one's qualities or feelings: He displayed his wit. He exhibited great surprise. To evince and to manifest also mean to show feelings or qualities: to evince or manifest surprise, interest.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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displayernoun
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predisplaynoun
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self-displaynoun
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redisplayverb (used with object)
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undisplayingadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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displaysimple
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displayssimple
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have displayedperfect
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has displayedperfect
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am displayingprogressive
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are displayingprogressive
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is displayingprogressive
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have been displayingperfect progressive
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has been displayingperfect progressive
Past
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displayedsimple
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had displayedperfect
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was displayingprogressive
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were displayingprogressive
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had been displayingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of display
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English desplayen, displayen, from Anglo-French, Old French despleier, desplier, desploier, from Late Latin displicāre “to unfold”; see origin at dis- 1, -fold
Explanation
When you display something, you show everyone. If you run up to someone in the street, throw your arms around her, and plant a big kiss on her face, you're displaying your affection for all the world to see. Besides public displays of emotion, a display can also be common and lifeless. Department store windows often have elaborate displays of the latest fashions, and your computer screen can also be called a display. If you’re especially proud of your butterfly collection, you can put it on display in your office. When showing off for the ladies, peacocks fan out their colorful tail feathers, and that, too, is called a display — a word for male animal courtship behavior.
Vocabulary lists containing display
Essential English Vocabulary, List 4
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Word Generation Weekly - Series 1
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Computer Terms
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
They also see potential in certain high-quality businesses whose momentum they expect to be on full display when the next set of earnings results hit.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026
Another possible explanation involves aposematism, a defensive strategy in which animals display conspicuous colors to advertise that they are poisonous or otherwise dangerous.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 28, 2026
A row of industrial blue historic launch consoles that were once used by NASA’s launch control at Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island in Florida were given to the Oschin to display near Endeavour.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
Liverpool great Alan Hansen, who was watching on at Anfield on Sunday, would surely have taken satisfaction from Jacquet's display.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026
He went back down the other corridor to the room where the book had been on display.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
By the first half of 2026, Meta accounted for 94 percent of worldwide shipments of A.I. glasses without displays.
From Slate ● Oct. 28, 2026
I’ve been testing the new foldable for nearly two weeks and, while I’ve had my own Duo issues, I haven’t experienced sticky hinges or faulty displays.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
Some are bus-shelter-sized kiosks, while others are street displays up to 22 feet tall and positioned on sidewalks and medians.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
She has increasingly appeared at high-profile events and military displays.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
Overhead, the Wonder Dome had shifted back to its ten Dewey decimal displays.
From "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library" by Chris Grabenstein
The Oschin Center seeks to tackle that question head-on by displaying a genuine space potty, extracted from the Endeavour herself and displayed in a glass case.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
The researchers examined whether the spiders displayed "sleep rebound," meaning they compensated for interrupted sleep by increasing their subsequent sleep.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 27, 2026
The lawsuit says Dollar General systemically charged customers more than prices displayed on shelves, on price tags and in advertisements.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
“I would like people to think of this as a funny little museum,” she told People magazine in 2018, referring to the expansive collection of antiques and vintage finds she had displayed in the home.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 27, 2026
Christmas trees and menorahs were displayed in the windows of many apartments.
From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser
The Oschin Center seeks to tackle that question head-on by displaying a genuine space potty, extracted from the Endeavour herself and displayed in a glass case.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
They are just as shameless as the retailers who, earlier and earlier every year, start displaying their Christmas merchandise.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026
"XLSSC 122 has now set the record for the most distant galaxy cluster displaying strong lensing, which is a valuable tool for astronomers."
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
Lewis Hall has stood out in this system, displaying a great chemistry with former club team-mate Anthony Gordon.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Then there are shelves displaying vintage video games and consoles, as well as prototypes of what look like the earliest versions of the NeuroLink glasses.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
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