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
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
Buffy is a Buff-Orpington Sussex cross and is "a bit of a show-off and a bit of a poser", said her owner.
From BBC ● May 7, 2023
When she boasted of speaking five languages, being an avid skier, having a master's degree and studying for her interior design license, I rolled my eyes, labelling her an overachieving show-off like her husband.
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2022
That's what I liked about PJ—he wasn't a show-off.
From "Miracle's Boys" by Jacqueline Woodson
The developers are keen to show off the fancy new graphics, and here the game holds its own.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
He apparently wants to prepare for college by being used in a more versatile role catching passes out of the backfield to show off his many skills.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 21, 2026
Elon Musk loves to show off his Optimus prototype, recently filmed jogging in short strides.
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026
The event was also a way for Russian companies to show off their advances in technology, a sphere in which Russia is lagging behind both the U.S. and China.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
I was just debating whether to give it or act smart and show off before Pink.
From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns
In May, state-controlled newspaper Global Times reported that an internet celebrity called Wanghongquanxing was banned from social media "amid a crackdown on online wealth show-offs."
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2024
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
They typically favour loyal insiders, not show-offs who promise dramatic change.
From Economist ● Mar. 10, 2016
They had a tendency to be show-offs and eat spicy food.
From "Counting by 7s" by Holly Goldberg Sloan
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.
