display
Americanverb (used with object)
-
displays,
present (3rd person singular)
-
displayed,
past participle, past
-
displaying
present participle
-
to show or exhibit; make visible.
to display a sign.
- Antonyms:
- conceal
-
to reveal; betray.
to display fear.
- Antonyms:
- conceal
-
to unfold; open out; spread out.
to display a sail.
-
to show ostentatiously; flaunt.
-
Printing. to give special prominence to (words, captions, etc.) by choice, size, and arrangement of type.
-
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
-
an act or instance of displaying; exhibition.
a display of courage.
-
an ostentatious show.
a vulgar display of wealth.
-
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.
-
-
an arrangement, as of merchandise, art objects, or flowers, designed to please the eye, attract buyers, etc.
-
Digital Technology.
-
the visual representation of the output of an electronic device.
-
the portion of an electronic device that shows this representation, as a screen, lens, or reticle.
-
-
Animal Behavior.
-
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.
-
an instance of such behavior.
-
verb
-
(tr) to show or make visible
-
(tr) to disclose or make evident; reveal
to display anger
-
(tr) to flaunt in an ostentatious way
to display military might
-
(tr) to spread or open out; unfurl or unfold
-
(tr) to give prominence to (headings, captions, etc) by the use of certain typefaces
-
(intr) zoology to engage in a display
noun
-
the act of exhibiting or displaying; show
a display of fear
-
something exhibited or displayed
-
an ostentatious or pretentious exhibition
a display of his accomplishments
-
-
an arrangement of certain typefaces to give prominence to headings, captions, advertisements, etc
-
printed matter that is eye-catching
-
-
electronics
-
a device capable of representing information visually, as on a cathode-ray tube screen
-
the information so presented
-
-
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
-
(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
-
displayernoun
-
predisplaynoun
-
self-displaynoun
-
redisplayverb (used with object)
-
undisplayingadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
displaysimple
-
displayssimple
-
have displayedperfect
-
has displayedperfect
-
am displayingprogressive
-
are displayingprogressive
-
is displayingprogressive
-
have been displayingperfect progressive
-
has been displayingperfect progressive
Past
-
displayedsimple
-
had displayedperfect
-
was displayingprogressive
-
were displayingprogressive
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Word Generation Weekly - Series 1
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Computer Terms
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
The company pivoted to a game suitable for display on a coffee table, modeled after the Vintage Bookshelf line, but larger.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
The bill also will require grocery stores in California to prominently display products bearing the “Non-Ultraprocessed Certified” seal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026
Rome, from Mount Aventine features a panoramic view of the Italian capital and will be on display at the Palazzo Rondinini for three days.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
Andy is, in my view, the best energy reporter in the world, a notion that was on full display in his gripping conversation with U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
And while there could be no open display of celebrating for Aunt Kitty and myself after our work on the murder case, we both were feeling the satisfaction of another mystery solved.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
The San Fernando Valley, especially in Burbank, is a region now known for extravagant, do-it-yourself Halloween displays.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Lower prices have been working, he said, adding that new products and refreshed styles and displays — part of Target’s plans to revive sales — are the right formula to regain relevance.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
While the colourful displays may encourage people to learn more about fungi, experts are warning against assuming wild mushrooms are safe to eat.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
AI-generated food pictures are appearing on everything from takeout menus to deli displays, but turning heads for all the wrong reasons, Isabella Simonetti writes for the Journal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
Roy Lee drove us to Bluefield for the fair, and together we set up the panels and the displays.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
That information is transformed into a phase pattern and displayed on a programmable spatial light modulator.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026
As an icebreaker, audience members are asked to submit their own unpopular opinions to be displayed on the screen for everyone to see.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
For safe-keeping, the flag is displayed in very low light, giving the chamber a sacred feel, like a cathedral crypt.
From Salon ● Sep. 25, 2026
Left: Meta's demonstration of a user making a phone call, with an image of the person they're talking to displayed inside their glasses.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
If Nyame’s magnificent home displayed the sky god’s wealth and power, Anansi’s emphasized his cleverness.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
On 9 July, after the crash, another train approaching the same signal received an incorrect AWS warning despite it displaying green.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
Biles has also filled the home with more personal touches, particularly inside her private office, where she has begun displaying mementos from her decorated gymnastics career.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
Cereal boxes, Marion Nestle and Lisa Sutherland explain, are “billboards displaying marketing messages on supermarket shelves and breakfast tables across America.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
That additional detection system means the cells may still be able to recognize and kill a tumor cell even if it stops displaying NY-ESO-1.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026
At one point, Kamen recalled, Alvarez tried to cadge more experimentation time from Lawrence by displaying a chart showing a decline in publications by members of the lab.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
