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• show-off
  show-off

  noun

  a person given to pretentious display.
• show off
  show off

  verb

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

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.

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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

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noun

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

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]

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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."

Example Sentences

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

His decision has stirred discussion on social media, where some have called Macron "kéké", which is French slang for a show-off.

From BBC • Jan. 20, 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

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

As a child, he would sometimes talk to this star, but only when he was his most serious, real self, and not being any sort of a show-off or clown.

From "Abel's Island" by William Steig

Related Words

• brag
• flaunt