show-off
noun
a person given to pretentious display.
show-off
American
[shoh-awf, -of]
/ ˈʃoʊˌɔf, -ˌɒf /
Also
showoff
noun
-
show-offs
plural
-
a person given to pretentious display.
- Synonyms:
- braggart, exhibitionist
-
the act of showing off.
show off
British
verb
-
(tr) to exhibit or display so as to invite admiration
-
informal (intr) to behave in such a manner as to make an impression
noun
show off
Idioms
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of show-off
First recorded in 1770–80; noun use of verb phrase show off
Explanation
If you tend to brag about your accomplishments or flaunt your possessions, you're a show-off. If you make sure everyone in your art class notices your brand new laptop, they'll call you a show-off. It's important to a show-off that everyone notices them. Whether bragging about their grade on the math test, parading their fancy new hat through the school hallways, or demonstrating their ability to juggle five oranges at once, a show-off really enjoys spectators. The verb show off came first, while the noun appeared around 1920, defined as "a person who makes a deliberate and ostentatious display."
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:
Baz Luhrmann, the master showman, or at least show-off, of musical cinema, gives fair notice of his purpose in a big-screen offering tailored to IMAX, “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 19, 2026
Charlie says he doesn't want to be seen as a show-off, so when asked about himself volunteers "something else a bit more boring".
From BBC ● Feb. 14, 2025
And the moneyed elite started building their houses higher and higher above the basin, forever seeking the trophy perch with the show-off view.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2023
Despite having the skills, Lupe's not a show-off on the field or off.
From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2022
Well, there was having attitude and then there was just being a total show-off.
From "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins
The room features elegant windows that show off the manicured grounds outside.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026
Brittany Bowen, a finfluencer who offers money advice in get ready with me videos, said she knows she has to show off her lifestyle in order to garner interest from viewers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
In addition to dragging the pieces into place, much of the opening episode seems meant to satisfy an impulse to show off Kansas City — Sudeikis grew up in that area.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
At a time when more employers want workers who know their way around artificial-intelligence tools, more job seekers want to show off their knowledge with badges, credentials and certificates.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
Mattie ran straight to Leafie to show off Mulie’s new sunbonnet.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
Even your author snubbed the offer of a mobile phone in 1997 convinced they'd only be for "show-offs" and would never really catch on.
From BBC ● Apr. 1, 2023
But the show-offs want to scoop it up and run the fumble into the end zone.
From Seattle Times ● May 10, 2019
That doesn’t mean it’s an album for show-offs.
From The Verge ● Aug. 11, 2016
If they were a bunch of work-shy show-offs, Swedes would surely have noticed the inequality by now.
From Economist ● Mar. 10, 2016
Four hands shot in the air, and I heard Regan mutter something about show-offs under her breath.
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.
