show
Americanverb (used with object)
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shows,
present (3rd person singular)
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showed,
past participle, past
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shown,
past participle
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showing
present participle
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to cause or allow to be seen; exhibit; display.
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to present or perform as a public entertainment or spectacle.
to show a movie.
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to indicate; point out.
to show the way.
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to guide, escort, or usher.
He showed me to my room. Show her in.
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to explain or make clear; make known.
He showed what he meant.
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to make known to; inform, instruct, or prove to.
I'll show you what I mean.
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to prove; demonstrate.
His experiment showed the falsity of the theory.
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to indicate, register, or mark.
The thermometer showed 10 below zero.
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to exhibit or offer for sale.
to show a house.
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to allege, as in a legal document; plead, as a reason or cause.
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to produce, as facts in an affidavit or at a hearing.
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to express or make evident by appearance, behavior, speech, etc..
to show one's feelings.
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to accord or grant (favor, kindness, etc.).
He showed mercy in his decision.
verb (used without object)
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shows,
present (3rd person singular)
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showed,
past participle, past
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shown,
past participle
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showing
present participle
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to be seen; be or become visible.
Does my slip show?
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to be seen in a certain way.
to show to advantage.
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to put on an exhibition or performance; display one's goods or products.
Several dress designers are showing in New York now.
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Informal. to be present or keep an appointment; show up.
He said he would be there, but he didn't show.
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to finish third in a horse race, harness race, etc.
noun
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shows
plural
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a theatrical production, performance, or company.
We’d like to catch a Broadway show while we’re in the city!
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a radio or television program.
The show is on Tuesdays at 8:00.
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a movie.
Grab a popcorn and a drink before the show starts.
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an exposition for dealers or the public of products by various manufacturers in a particular industry, usually held in an exhibition hall, convention facility, or the like.
the annual boat show.
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any kind of public exhibition or exposition.
a show of Renoirs.
- Synonyms:
- spectacle
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ostentatious display.
nothing but mere show.
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a display, exhibition, or demonstration.
a true show of freedom.
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an indication; trace.
He frowned on the slightest show of emotion.
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the position of the competitor who comes in third in a horse race, harness race, etc.
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appearance; impression.
to make a sorry show.
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a sight or spectacle.
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an unreal or deceptive appearance.
The actress's tears had the show of grief.
- Synonyms:
- illusion, simulation, pretense, deception
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an act or instance of showing.
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Informal. a chance.
to get a fair show.
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Medicine/Medical.
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the first appearance of blood at the onset of menstruation.
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a blood-tinged mucous discharge from the vagina that indicates the onset of labor.
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Chiefly British Informal. any undertaking, group of persons, event, etc.; affair; thing.
verb phrase
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show off
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to display ostentatiously.
The parade was designed to show off all the latest weapons of war.
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to seek to gain attention by displaying prominently one's abilities or accomplishments.
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show up
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to make known, as faults; expose; reveal.
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to exhibit in a certain way; appear.
White shows up well against a blue background.
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to come to or arrive at a place.
We waited for two hours, but he didn't show up.
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to make (another) seem inferior; outdo.
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idioms
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steal the show,
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to get the most attention, applause, or credit for something: I did all the work, but my partner stole the show.
No doubt the three stars are all very talented, but the little boy stole the show.
I did all the work, but my partner stole the show.
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to be the most pleasing or spectacular item or person in a group.
The entrées at this restaurant are always good, but expect dessert to steal the show!
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stop the show, to win such enthusiastic applause that a theatrical performance is temporarily interrupted.
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run the show, to control a business, situation, etc.; be in charge.
My father runs the show in our house.
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make a show of, to be ostentatious about; affect.
Whenever there are visitors, the bosses make a show of being nice to their employees.
verb
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to make, be, or become visible or noticeable
to show one's dislike
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(tr) to present to view; exhibit
he showed me a picture
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(tr) to indicate or explain; prove
to show that the earth moves round the sun
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(tr) to exhibit or present (oneself or itself) in a specific character
to show oneself to be trustworthy
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(tr; foll by how and an infinitive) to instruct by demonstration
show me how to swim
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(tr) to indicate or register
a barometer shows changes in the weather
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(tr) to grant or bestow
to show favour to someone
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(intr) to appear
to show to advantage
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to exhibit, display, or offer (goods, etc) for sale
three artists were showing at the gallery
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(tr) to allege, as in a legal document
to show cause
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to present (a play, film, etc) or (of a play, etc) to be presented, as at a theatre or cinema
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(tr) to guide or escort
please show me to my room
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to conduct a person into a room or building by opening the door for him
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to conduct a person out of a room or building by opening the door for him
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(intr) to win a place in a horse race, etc
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to give a performance of riding and handling (a horse) to display its best points
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informal (intr) to put in an appearance; arrive
noun
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a display or exhibition
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a public spectacle
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an ostentatious or pretentious display
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a theatrical or other entertainment
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a trace or indication
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obstetrics a discharge of blood at the onset of labour
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informal a chance; opportunity (esp in the phrases give someone a show, he's got no show of winning, etc)
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a sporting event consisting of contests in which riders perform different exercises to show their skill and their horses' ability and breeding
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slang a thing or affair (esp in the phrases good show, bad show, etc)
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mining a slight indication of the presence of gold
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a display of farm animals, with associated competitions
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in order to attract attention
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informal to take charge of or manage an affair, business, etc
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to draw the most attention or admiration, esp unexpectedly
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informal
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(of a stage act, etc) to receive so much applause as to interrupt the performance
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to be received with great enthusiasm
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Usage
What are other ways to say show?
The noun show refers to any type of display, exhibition, or demonstration. How does it compare to display, ostentation, and pomp? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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supershownoun
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reshowverb
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outshowverb (used with object)
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preshowadjective
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showableadjective
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showlessadjective
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unshowableadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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showsimple
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showssimple
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have showedperfect
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have shownperfect
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has showedperfect
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has shownperfect
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am showingprogressive
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are showingprogressive
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is showingprogressive
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have been showingperfect progressive
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has been showingperfect progressive
Past
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showedsimple
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had showedperfect
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had shownperfect
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was showingprogressive
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were showingprogressive
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had been showingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of show
First recorded before 900; (verb) Middle English showen, s(c)hewen “to look at, show,” Old English scēawian “to look at”; cognate with Dutch schowen, German schauen; (noun) Middle English s(c)hew(e), derivative of the verb
Explanation
Remember show and tell? To show something is to display something, to share it, or to put on a little show about it. Show is a word with many meanings, but they're closely related. There are TV and radio shows, and a play is also a show. In those cases, shows are types of entertainment. You can also say, "Let me show you something." You can show by pointing at something, but showing can also mean proving something. A lawyer needs to show why his client is innocent. People who can't stop showing things are called show-offs.
Vocabulary lists containing 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.
See Examples For:
The French adhesive manufacturing company continues to show improved cost discipline and higher-margin products are contributing more positively, they say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
“We kind of said, ‘How many do you want to show?’
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
"Fossilized remains of long-extinct species can show features well outside the range of variation we see in living species," Wright said.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026
He said his dreams of Hollywood as a young man probably had started in Port Talbot's Plaza Cinema, which started to show American films after World War Two.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
His drum set is already loaded into the van, but that hasn’t stopped him from air drumming, and right now, he’s in the zone, apparently daydreaming that he’s playing at a sold-out show.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
In and around their offices in New York and Geneva, General Intuition shows off a robot dog.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
But the lead researcher, Dr Varun Warrier, says this shows "autism broadening out genetically" rather than misdiagnosis.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
"Our study highlights the importance of taking part in colorectal cancer screening, and shows that it can actually save lives."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026
He returned to television briefly, working on two more game shows, one of which included one of his biggest paychecks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
She believed that this girl, who talked endlessly of the Yiddish shows she’d seen with her mother at the Grand, could be a star if she tried.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
In a video, Morgan showed the horses being herded away, saying it had been due to "constant pressure".
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
Images on public broadcaster SVT on Friday showed multiple ambulances and police cars parked outside the school as well as a police helicopter.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
That result showed that the phenomenon is magnetic in nature.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026
Then again, as last year’s mixed jamboree showed, the part-time doublers may have a hard time knocking out the professionally committed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
I stay in his house and his family feeds me and they treat me with the same gentle courtesy the older man showed me earlier.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
Academics had shown that it was hard to beat the market.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
Yes, Brook has shown himself an able tactician and leader of the white-ball team but at no point did I believe he was ready to be England's Test captain.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
"This is the first time we have shown that these differences occur at the genetic control level, providing a new layer of insight into human immunity," Dr. Ballouz says.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026
Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” was both shot in the format and shown that way at a handful of venues worldwide.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
Later, his mother had shown him how to spell yes.
From "All About Sam" by Lois Lowry
Named Wilbur by the hive mind of social media, the animal blew up online after resident Jamaal Harrison posted a video to TikTok on Saturday showing his futile attempts to catch it on an e-bike.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
"As Bessent himself confirmed, the move is mainly a signalling mechanism, with the Treasury showing it is prepared to step in with yields near current levels," said economists at Capital Economics.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
During Walmart’s earnings call, executives said it has already seen some market-share gains from its move to cut prices, showing demand for those goods was elastic, or sensitive, to price changes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
That prediction agrees with other geological evidence showing that roughly five to ten kilometers of rock disappeared from parts of the region long before the modern Grand Canyon formed.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026
I’d always thought that he was showing off, but really, he was just stating the facts.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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.
