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:
Sam got a little cocky, tried a show-off spin, got his bird legs tangled and took a tumble.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 6, 2026
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
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
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
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
Tesla had initially planned to show off the robot earlier this year but delayed doing so, citing concerns that rivals could copy its designs.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
The small kitchen retains its midcentury charm, but open shelving above the counter provides an airier, more contemporary cupboard to show off Miranda-Martin’s dish and glassware collection.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026
These follically challenged individuals show off bald heads at festivals and meetups, and on bald-focused social-media accounts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026
Others were ordinary selfies, lying in bed, wearing a vest, with her eyes closed to show off her eyeliner.
From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2026
Jimbo must have realized that we were talking about him, and he decided to show off a little.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
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
If they were a bunch of work-shy show-offs, Swedes would surely have noticed the inequality by now.
From Economist ● Mar. 10, 2016
They were respected as a couple because they weren’t show-offs.
From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro
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.
