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showroom

American  
[shoh-room, -room] / ˈʃoʊˌrum, -ˌrʊm /

noun

  1. a room used for the display of goods or merchandise.


verb (used without object)

  1. to come into a store to view merchandise and then purchase it from a competitor, usually online, as to get a lower price or wider selection.

    For shoes, I usually showroom at a couple of stores, then buy them cheaper online.

  2. to be used as a place to view rather than buy merchandise.

    No store wants to showroom for a website.

verb (used with object)

  1. to display (merchandise) in a showroom.

  2. to enter a store and view (merchandise) before purchasing it from a competitor, usually online.

  3. to use or encourage people to use (a store) as a place to view rather than buy merchandise.

    The online retailers are showrooming us out of business.

    We’re being showroomed by consumers who browse our stores without buying.

showroom British  
/ ˈʃəʊˌruːm, -ˌrʊm /

noun

  1. a room in which goods, such as cars, are on display

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of showroom

First recorded in 1610–20; show + room

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.

Rescuers raced to 29 sites across the city, including residential buildings, a car showroom, a utilities company and other civilian infrastructure.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026

One night, not long after his roleplay session with the good doctor, Clark spots a crack of light coming from a wall in the sub-basement of his store’s showroom.

From Salon • May 30, 2026

Designer Carol Young has carried Burton’s jewelry at her Undesigned showroom in Los Feliz for 20 years.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026

Firefighters are at the scene of a fire at a car showroom near Garvagh, County Londonderry.

From BBC • May 13, 2026

“I thought we could drop by Lorenzo Hussingtree's showroom on our way to Worcester. New tiles. They're exquisite.”

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

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