Theater. a performer, performance, or musical number that wins enthusiastic or prolonged applause.
The singer proves that she is simply a show-stopper after her resoundingly successful debut.
a spectacularly arresting or appealing person or thing.
This bright plaid suit is a real show-stopper.
a significant obstacle or problem, especially one halting a process already underway.
The bug was a show-stopper, delaying the game's release by months.
First recorded in 1945–50
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The dip pairs exceptionally well with tortilla chips and salsa, but it can also be enjoyed with baguette slices and apples — the perfect dinner party show-stopper.
From Salon • Jan. 25, 2024
“It was the most effective show-stopper I ever came up with,” he wrote unrepentantly in his 1999 memoir, “What’s Welsh for Zen.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 23, 2023
It was also nothing if not a show-stopper, with Sandén and her tiny back-up singers framed by majestic boats, and fireworks lighting up the skies in the song’s final moments.
From Slate • Apr. 25, 2021
Shelley King, who plays Yasmeen, was named the best show-stopper of the year, for the scene where her character suddenly finds the courage to fight back against Geoff.
From BBC • Nov. 24, 2020
Befitting the impresario, the property is a big, modern show-stopper, from its lush green driveway off Sunset Boulevard to its 6,500 square feet of meeting and event space.
From New York Times • Feb. 22, 2020
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.
