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:
Shortly after, Kessler blocked a shot by Warriors center Charles Bassey from behind, a display of his defensive presence.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
Apple on Tuesday unveiled HomeView, a voice-driven smart display built around its revamped Siri AI assistant, as the iPhone maker makes a fresh bid for a place in living rooms and kitchens.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
If other ancient clusters also contain unexpectedly concentrated dark matter and display unusually advanced development, scientists may need to revise some of their basic assumptions about how quickly large cosmic structures formed.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
About 15 are on display in his home office, alongside model planes and other travel paraphernalia.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
France was celebrating something, and even though they tried to be quiet about it, it was hard not to stay up and watch the little fireworks display.
From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness
Other displays included Pukkuksong submarine-launched ballistic missiles, a hypersonic short-range missile and a row of smaller cruise missiles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
The Weston Foyer's displays are tied to the Globe's events programme, which this month includes a Shakespeare and race festival.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
The Asian Games in Japan will close later Sunday after a fortnight of record-smashing displays from young stars, but marred by mix-ups, patchy crowds and accusations of mismanagement.
From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026
Only 2,000 were made in 1989, and some were used as store displays.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
Myrta’s parents were cool at first, but he courted their approval with moist-eyed declarations of regret and displays of adoration for his wife and child.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
First displayed to the public during an "open rehearsal" four months after their arrival, the bison have so far only appeared in summer shows held in a small tent in a Moscow park.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
Ailisha said the fact the artwork has been displayed in their school for other pupils to see is important.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
Paxton said further notes - including one called "victims list" - displayed a hatred of women.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Los Angeles art world luminaries such as Raymond Pettibon, Ruby Neri and Adam Silverman are displayed alongside lesser-known artists beloved by Herman, 78, and his wife.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
I’d ask the butcher, pointing to the calves' brains displayed in the front window.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
New research from LMU suggests that people make a clear distinction between displaying intelligent behavior and possessing a conscious mind, even when humans and AI act in precisely the same way.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026
Many people rely on biometric readers displaying sleep, heart rate, recovery, and more.
From Slate ● Oct. 9, 2026
"Passengers need to know what they are being charged and who is responsible for the pedicab they are riding in," she said, adding that vehicles should be equipped with meters displaying the cost of rides.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
They may act impulsively, be manipulative, or even outright lie to advance their careers - but how can you tell the difference between an unpleasant co-worker and someone displaying psychopathic traits?
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
A hastily hand- lettered green sign hung above the countertop, displaying the store’s motto.
From "A Tangle of Knots" by Lisa Graff
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.
