sideshow

American  

[sahyd-shoh] / ˈsaɪdˌʃoʊ /

noun

• sideshows
  plural

1. a minor show or exhibition in connection with a principal one, as at a circus.

2. any subordinate event or matter.

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sideshow British  

/ ˈsaɪdˌʃəʊ /

noun

1. a small show or entertainment offered in conjunction with a larger attraction, as at a circus or fair

2. a subordinate event or incident

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• sideshows
  plural

Etymology

Origin of sideshow

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50

Explanation

The tattooed lady, sword swallower, and frog man are some of the people you might meet at a sideshow, a smaller show that's part of a carnival or circus. A sideshow is also something that distracts from a main event. The first sideshows happened at the Barnum & Bailey Circus, from the idea that some performers would be better viewed up close, instead of in a large tent. The popularity of sideshows grew through the first half of the 20th century. Attractions ranged from so-called "freaks" like the contortionists to tricks like sword swallowing and fire breathing. Today sideshow is often used for something that takes attention away from what's really important.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sideshow sideshows

Tourret at the French marine institute agreed, calling the trips by the Chinese and South Korean vessels a sideshow.

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

But much of it is sideshow, or filler.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

“AI is no longer a sideshow, it is serving as a significant revenue contributor,” analyst Yi Fu Lee says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026

The petrodollar was always a sideshow to this deeper story.

From Barron's ● May 27, 2026

“She’s not very fond of all the silly sideshow antics down at Luigi’s library. I suspect she wouldn’t mind seeing the place run by more responsible adults.”

From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein

“There would have been a lot of sideshows if he were to testify that would have, I think, made it a challenge for him,” Blanche said.

From Seattle Times ● May 31, 2024

The July 2022 sideshows, city officials claim, were organized as a birthday celebration for one of the group’s members.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2023

“At the end of the day, sideshows are best thought of as youthful nonsense,” Texas Monthly’s Jack Herrera writes.

From Slate ● Apr. 25, 2023

But these often felt like sideshows, guidebooks: boosterish accessories to a main event that is now struggling to regain and maintain its centrality in international culture.

From New York Times ● Mar. 7, 2023

The wind whipped down the open walkway, through various sideshows, fun houses, and arcades, all grated over and shut down for the night.

From "Shadowshaper" by Daniel José Older