showman

American  

[shoh-muhn] / ˈʃoʊ mən /

noun

plural

showmen

1. a person who presents or produces a show, especially of a theatrical nature.

2. a person who is gifted in doing or presenting things theatrically or dramatically.

   He didn't have much voice but was a great showman.

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showman British  

/ ˈʃəʊmən /

noun

1. a person who presents or produces a theatrical show, etc

2. a person skilled at presenting anything in an effective manner

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Other Word Forms

• showmanly adverb
• showmanship noun

Etymology

Origin of showman

First recorded in 1725–35; show + -man

Example Sentences

He did perform his trademark backflip toward the end, but the showman move drew far fewer technical points.

From Barron's • Feb. 14, 2026

Braathen, racing for his mother's homeland of Brazil after falling out with the Norwegian ski federation, has two second-placed finishes this season and the showman has his sights firmly on a medal in Bormio.

From Barron's • Feb. 12, 2026

Though Cerf came to regret selling, the main thing that worried him in the moment was whether he could keep appearing on CBS’s “What’s My Line?”—a showman to the last.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

As the total attendance for the Test went past 200,000 – a record for the Adelaide Oval – showman Lyon had the expectant crowd in the palm of his hand.

From BBC • Dec. 20, 2025

Competing for attention on an adjacent stage was a loudmouthed showman in coattails and a large, prehistoric-looking creature whose gray skin hung from its frame in cascading wrinkles.

From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs