show-off
noun
a person given to pretentious display.
show-off
American
[shoh-awf, -of]
/ ˈʃoʊˌɔf, -ˌɒf /
Also
showoff
noun
-
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
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.
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
Seeking eternal life, he learns the secret of 72 Transformations from a venerated Buddhist teacher and then becomes an irreverent show-off.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 1, 2025
What for other dancers might be show-off steps are integrated into a poetic vision, a different way of being.
From New York Times • Jan. 24, 2024
"In his early days, I accept, he showboated a lot," said Ferguson, who also described the young Ronaldo as "a wee show-off desperate to convince everyone how good he was".
From BBC • Aug. 16, 2023
I didn't try any trick stuff while we danced--I hate a guy that does a lot of show-off tricky stuff on the dance floor--but I was moving her around plenty, and she stayed with me.
From "The Catcher in the Rye" by J. D. Salinger
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.
