Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

show-off

American  
[shoh-awf, -of] / ˈʃoʊˌɔf, -ˌɒf /
Also showoff

noun

  1. a person given to pretentious display.

    Synonyms:
    braggart, exhibitionist

  2. the act of showing off.

show off British  

verb

  1. (tr) to exhibit or display so as to invite admiration

  2. informal (intr) to behave in such a manner as to make an impression

"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

noun

  1. informal a person who makes a vain display of himself

"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
show off Idioms  

  1. Display in an ostentatious, conspicuous way; also, seek attention by displaying one's accomplishments, abilities, or possessions. For example, I'm wearing shorts to show off my Florida tan, or Karen loved showing off her new baby to her friends, or There's no need to show off, Fred; we all know you're a good dancer. [Early 1800s]

Other Word Forms

  • show-offish adjective

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."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

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

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

“Whereas De La Soul was much more natural and organic. It didn’t have that show-off feel to it.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2023

The peanut gallery, up front, consists of the older brother, who is driving, and his mother, who is wittier than her husband but less of a show-off.

From New York Times • Apr. 21, 2022

“Hey, Coach,” Jim Don said, “let me guard the show-off rookie.”

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

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.