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
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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)
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displays,
present (3rd person singular)
-
displayed,
past participle, past
-
displaying
present participle
noun
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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.
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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.
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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
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something exhibited or displayed
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an ostentatious or pretentious exhibition
a display of his accomplishments
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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:
He said he felt being a unionist should not exclude him from putting his culture on display for the city's natives and visitors.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
This display is the touch screen equivalent of the Big Type books that you give your grandparents.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
Some of the vehicles abandoned by foreign forces went on display this week, including a Humvee covered in dusty footprints and wrapped in fairy lights.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
The discount tags have been placed, carefully it seems to me, directly over the Taylor Farms logo, giving the display the slightly furtive quality of merchandise that has recently acquired an unfortunate reputation.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
Soon the royal carriage emerged from the castle gates behind me to parade through The Kingdom and display the new queen.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
Vega, one of the brightest stars visible in the night sky, displays the same type of pattern.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 13, 2026
Some of those spots host elaborate holiday light displays that require set-up in late October.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
What we saw instead was a wildly disjointed and confusing mashup of displays that lent nothing to our knowledge of America’s rise to become that admired “shining city upon a hill.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
For example, researchers last year counted more than 1 million different badges, which are digital displays of a worker’s skills and accomplishments.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
Bouts of fighting will last the whole day, broken up by bardic performances, a few feats of clever magic, displays of archery, and other skills.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
Within a day, observations from the Liverpool Telescope in the Canary Islands and NASA's Swift satellite in space showed that the object displayed the expected characteristics of an LFBOT.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
Despite Makhachev's record, Machado Garry displayed typical confidence as he made his walkout, before greeting his wife and draping an Ireland flag around him prior to entering the octagon.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
With the total price displayed upfront, it is easy to compare fares within an airline or use a tool such as Google Flights to see fares across different airlines.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
Leavitt, by never failing to placate, flatter and worship her boss, has displayed a singular and decisive pathway, although not a very original one, to political success.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
The space wasn't big—twenty-four feet by ten—but it displayed Mo's life, from beginning to its end.
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
Cats had been found on all three floors of the home, with many "displaying flu-like symptoms or ailments" and some with breathing problems, Smith said.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
Little signs like that permeated the day, as did a big one displaying every Dorsey championship.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026
Artificial-intelligence systems have been displaying some eye-opening new abilities in recent weeks: breaking out of their enclosures, hacking other companies, lying to people.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Around her are patio tables displaying the kind of food the shop carried: pies and cakes, what appear to be stuffed tomatoes, baguettes, sophisticated deli salads, gorgeous hunks of cheese.
From Salon ● Jul. 11, 2026
Amelia grinned at Jane and Michael, displaying a splendid array of teeth.
From "Mary Poppins" by P. L. Travers
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.
