showman

American  

[shoh-muhn] / ˈʃoʊ mən /

noun

plural

showmen

1. a person who presents or produces a show, especially of a theatrical nature.

2. a person who is gifted in doing or presenting things theatrically or dramatically.

   He didn't have much voice but was a great showman.

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showman British  

/ ˈʃəʊmən /

noun

1. a person who presents or produces a theatrical show, etc

2. a person skilled at presenting anything in an effective manner

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Other Word Forms

• showmanly adverb
• showmanship noun

Etymology

Origin of showman

First recorded in 1725–35; show + -man

Example Sentences

Frank Gehry, as he became, told me that MTT was already an entrancing showman.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026

And he loves dramatic entrances and endings — he’s a showman.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 18, 2026

He has reversed Celtic's on-field fortunes while evidently enjoying the off-field side of the job, joking his way through news conferences and playing the showman role he always has.

From BBC • Jan. 29, 2026

The defining showman of the Victorian era, P.T.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 25, 2026

He snatched the hat from his head, tipped it toward the boys, and bowed like a showman thanking his audience.

From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles