show
Americanverb (used with object)
-
shows,
present (3rd person singular)
-
showed,
past participle, past
-
shown,
past participle
-
showing
present participle
-
to cause or allow to be seen; exhibit; display.
-
to present or perform as a public entertainment or spectacle.
to show a movie.
-
to indicate; point out.
to show the way.
-
to guide, escort, or usher.
He showed me to my room. Show her in.
-
to explain or make clear; make known.
He showed what he meant.
-
to make known to; inform, instruct, or prove to.
I'll show you what I mean.
-
to prove; demonstrate.
His experiment showed the falsity of the theory.
-
to indicate, register, or mark.
The thermometer showed 10 below zero.
-
to exhibit or offer for sale.
to show a house.
-
to allege, as in a legal document; plead, as a reason or cause.
-
to produce, as facts in an affidavit or at a hearing.
-
to express or make evident by appearance, behavior, speech, etc..
to show one's feelings.
-
to accord or grant (favor, kindness, etc.).
He showed mercy in his decision.
verb (used without object)
-
shows,
present (3rd person singular)
-
showed,
past participle, past
-
shown,
past participle
-
showing
present participle
-
to be seen; be or become visible.
Does my slip show?
-
to be seen in a certain way.
to show to advantage.
-
to put on an exhibition or performance; display one's goods or products.
Several dress designers are showing in New York now.
-
Informal. to be present or keep an appointment; show up.
He said he would be there, but he didn't show.
-
to finish third in a horse race, harness race, etc.
noun
-
shows
plural
-
a theatrical production, performance, or company.
We’d like to catch a Broadway show while we’re in the city!
-
a radio or television program.
The show is on Tuesdays at 8:00.
-
a movie.
Grab a popcorn and a drink before the show starts.
-
an exposition for dealers or the public of products by various manufacturers in a particular industry, usually held in an exhibition hall, convention facility, or the like.
the annual boat show.
-
any kind of public exhibition or exposition.
a show of Renoirs.
- Synonyms:
- spectacle
-
ostentatious display.
nothing but mere show.
-
a display, exhibition, or demonstration.
a true show of freedom.
-
an indication; trace.
He frowned on the slightest show of emotion.
-
the position of the competitor who comes in third in a horse race, harness race, etc.
-
appearance; impression.
to make a sorry show.
-
a sight or spectacle.
-
an unreal or deceptive appearance.
The actress's tears had the show of grief.
- Synonyms:
- illusion, simulation, pretense, deception
-
an act or instance of showing.
-
Informal. a chance.
to get a fair show.
-
Medicine/Medical.
-
the first appearance of blood at the onset of menstruation.
-
a blood-tinged mucous discharge from the vagina that indicates the onset of labor.
-
-
Chiefly British Informal. any undertaking, group of persons, event, etc.; affair; thing.
verb phrase
-
show off
-
to display ostentatiously.
The parade was designed to show off all the latest weapons of war.
-
to seek to gain attention by displaying prominently one's abilities or accomplishments.
-
-
show up
-
to make known, as faults; expose; reveal.
-
to exhibit in a certain way; appear.
White shows up well against a blue background.
-
to come to or arrive at a place.
We waited for two hours, but he didn't show up.
-
to make (another) seem inferior; outdo.
-
idioms
-
steal the show,
-
to get the most attention, applause, or credit for something: I did all the work, but my partner stole the show.
No doubt the three stars are all very talented, but the little boy stole the show.
I did all the work, but my partner stole the show.
-
to be the most pleasing or spectacular item or person in a group.
The entrées at this restaurant are always good, but expect dessert to steal the show!
-
-
stop the show, to win such enthusiastic applause that a theatrical performance is temporarily interrupted.
-
run the show, to control a business, situation, etc.; be in charge.
My father runs the show in our house.
-
make a show of, to be ostentatious about; affect.
Whenever there are visitors, the bosses make a show of being nice to their employees.
verb
-
to make, be, or become visible or noticeable
to show one's dislike
-
(tr) to present to view; exhibit
he showed me a picture
-
(tr) to indicate or explain; prove
to show that the earth moves round the sun
-
(tr) to exhibit or present (oneself or itself) in a specific character
to show oneself to be trustworthy
-
(tr; foll by how and an infinitive) to instruct by demonstration
show me how to swim
-
(tr) to indicate or register
a barometer shows changes in the weather
-
(tr) to grant or bestow
to show favour to someone
-
(intr) to appear
to show to advantage
-
to exhibit, display, or offer (goods, etc) for sale
three artists were showing at the gallery
-
(tr) to allege, as in a legal document
to show cause
-
to present (a play, film, etc) or (of a play, etc) to be presented, as at a theatre or cinema
-
(tr) to guide or escort
please show me to my room
-
to conduct a person into a room or building by opening the door for him
-
to conduct a person out of a room or building by opening the door for him
-
(intr) to win a place in a horse race, etc
-
to give a performance of riding and handling (a horse) to display its best points
-
informal (intr) to put in an appearance; arrive
noun
-
a display or exhibition
-
a public spectacle
-
an ostentatious or pretentious display
-
a theatrical or other entertainment
-
a trace or indication
-
obstetrics a discharge of blood at the onset of labour
-
informal a chance; opportunity (esp in the phrases give someone a show, he's got no show of winning, etc)
-
a sporting event consisting of contests in which riders perform different exercises to show their skill and their horses' ability and breeding
-
slang a thing or affair (esp in the phrases good show, bad show, etc)
-
mining a slight indication of the presence of gold
-
a display of farm animals, with associated competitions
-
in order to attract attention
-
informal to take charge of or manage an affair, business, etc
-
to draw the most attention or admiration, esp unexpectedly
-
informal
-
(of a stage act, etc) to receive so much applause as to interrupt the performance
-
to be received with great enthusiasm
-
Usage
What are other ways to say show?
The noun show refers to any type of display, exhibition, or demonstration. How does it compare to display, ostentation, and pomp? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
supershownoun
-
reshowverb
-
outshowverb (used with object)
-
preshowadjective
-
showableadjective
-
showlessadjective
-
unshowableadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
showsimple
-
showssimple
-
have showedperfect
-
have shownperfect
-
has showedperfect
-
has shownperfect
-
am showingprogressive
-
are showingprogressive
-
is showingprogressive
-
have been showingperfect progressive
-
has been showingperfect progressive
Past
-
showedsimple
-
had showedperfect
-
had shownperfect
-
was showingprogressive
-
were showingprogressive
-
had been showingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of show
First recorded before 900; (verb) Middle English showen, s(c)hewen “to look at, show,” Old English scēawian “to look at”; cognate with Dutch schowen, German schauen; (noun) Middle English s(c)hew(e), derivative of the verb
Explanation
Remember show and tell? To show something is to display something, to share it, or to put on a little show about it. Show is a word with many meanings, but they're closely related. There are TV and radio shows, and a play is also a show. In those cases, shows are types of entertainment. You can also say, "Let me show you something." You can show by pointing at something, but showing can also mean proving something. A lawyer needs to show why his client is innocent. People who can't stop showing things are called show-offs.
Vocabulary lists containing show
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:
Polls show the candidates mostly neck and neck.
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026
Preliminary figures show Hormuz oil flows, including offshore transfers in the Gulf of Oman, came to around 14 million barrels a day on average for the same period, or 82% of prewar levels.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
Alias seemed annoyed, having originally asked for £500, and made a show of counting out the notes, but did not provide a receipt.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
"Recent rainfall could still bring a strong display from individual trees in October, and some species may put on an even more impressive show than usual," he added.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
Then he yawned and stretched, to show Wolf how relaxed he was.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
Hassall said the number "reflects five decades of careful stewardship and shows that nature can flourish alongside farming, public access and heritage conservation".
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
The more-than 30% dive in Seoul-based AI cloud-computing company Elice’s shares on the first day of trading Tuesday shows mounting market concerns over debt-financed AI infrastructure investments, analysts said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
The company also recently replaced chief content officer Bela Bajaria, who oversaw popular shows including "Stranger Things," "Bridgerton," and "Squid Game," in addition to pushing the company's live entertainment strategy, according to CNBC.
From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2026
While Netflix has said that such drops are common, analysts point to other hit shows on rival streaming services like medical drama “The Pitt” that increased its viewership in its second season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
He pulls something out of his pocket and shows it to me.
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
The analysis showed that about 100 Arizona patients who switched from Centria to other autism-therapy providers received fewer hours of therapy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
Webb says the on-field decision would have remained whether Gillett showed a yellow or a red card.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
In instances where those voters’ birthplace was “meaningfully reported, 38.9% indicate that they were born in the United States, which is strong evidence of citizenship,” Flores wrote, while 71.2% showed no record of ever voting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
Non-communicable diseases account for three-quarters of deaths worldwide but affect different population groups in different ways, a World Health Organization study showed on Tuesday.
From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2026
I was two or three lessons in when Russell showed up one afternoon.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
Jessica has shown the BBC more letters from the same period, written in noticeably different hands.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
Johnson, for instance, says the firm’s research with the the Immersive Experience Institute has shown a hunger in younger generations to embrace spaces such as the Rainforest Cafe.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
An avalanche of financial research over the past several years has shown the value of guaranteed income in retirement plans.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026
Now the Rays, a team with a payroll that ranks near the bottom of the major leagues, have shown that a championship roster doesn’t have to be expensive.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
I was grateful they’d accepted me in their territory, and for the trust they’d shown me, especially the friendly one who’d taken the first kernel.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
Many autism-therapy providers and an industry group cite studies of young children showing high-hour therapy can help those with severe challenges.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
He went on to say that "Mr Alias" had got the fine cancelled - showing a letter as evidence.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
And it pointed to records showing a sharp increase in orders being put in place – they jumped from 16,800 to 26,500 in the first nine months of the pandemic.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
For years, Bigfoot devotees cited a 1967 film clip, shot by Roger Patterson with friend Bob Gimlin, showing the creature in the wilds of Northern California as proof positive of its existence.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
An involuntary spasm came over Ma and her eyelids parted briefly, showing only the whites of her eyes.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
