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Synonyms

no-show

American  
[noh-shoh] / ˈnoʊˌʃoʊ /

noun

  1. a person who makes a reservation and neither uses nor cancels it.

  2. a person who purchases an admission ticket and doesn't use it.

  3. any absentee.

adjective

  1. not appearing as scheduled or expected.

no-show British  

noun

  1. a person who fails to take up a reserved seat, place, etc, without having cancelled it

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of no-show

An Americanism dating back to 1940–45; no 2 + show

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.

The singer, who has become something of an expert in calling off gigs, said his latest no-show was due to the "indescribable hell" of a noisy hotel room in Valencia.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

Worker bees looking to unwind with a pint don’t often get beyond the glass doors, which sometimes offer a view of empty tables booked by no-show bankers while the main bar is packed.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 18, 2026

The guy who I was there to meet, who was going to vouch for me, was a late no-show.

From Slate • Oct. 27, 2025

She later apologizes for her no-show in a video posted on YouTube.

From Salon • Sep. 18, 2025

I glance there, too, from time to time, because it is natural that I am eager for my break to arrive, especially as today has been another no-show day, in terms of customers.

From "The Misfits" by James Howe

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.