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Synonyms

spectacle

American  
[spek-tuh-kuhl] / ˈspɛk tə kəl /

noun

  1. anything presented to the sight or view, especially something of a striking or impressive kind.

    The stars make a fine spectacle tonight.
    Synonyms:
    show, sight, wonder, marvel

  2. a public show or display, especially on a large scale.

    The coronation was a lavish spectacle.

  3. spectacles. eyeglasses, especially with pieces passing over or around the ears for holding them in place.

  4. Often spectacles.

    1. something resembling spectacles in shape or function.

    2. any of various devices suggesting spectacles, as one attached to a semaphore to display lights or different colors by colored glass.

  5. Obsolete. a spyglass.

idioms

  1. make a spectacle of oneself, to call attention to one's unseemly behavior; behave foolishly or badly in public.

    They tell me I made a spectacle of myself at the party last night.
spectacle British  
/ ˈspɛktəkəl /

noun

  1. a public display or performance, esp a showy or ceremonial one

  2. a thing or person seen, esp an unusual or ridiculous one

    he makes a spectacle of himself

  3. a strange or interesting object or phenomenon

  4. (modifier) of or relating to spectacles

    a spectacle case
"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

  • spectacleless adjective
  • spectaclelike adjective
  • superspectacle noun

Etymology

Origin of spectacle

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Latin spectāculum “sight, spectacle,” from spectā(re) “to look at,” literally, “to look repeatedly” (from specere “to look, regard, see”) + -culum -cle 2

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.

Ballerina Farm, where former ballet dancer Hannah Neeleman makes a spectacle of her wifely submission, has over 10 million Instagram followers, despite a recent scandal over her company’s raw milk sales.

From Salon • Apr. 8, 2026

The Catholic-majority country's annual spectacle re-enacting the last moments of Jesus Christ typically draws up to 12,000 local and foreign tourists.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

“The Importance of Being Ernest” and “Alice’s Adventures Underground,” in 2011 and 2016 respectively, proved each funnier and more outrageous musical spectacle than the last.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

One reviewer argues the film leans harder into "volume and venom", sacrificing narrative depth for chest-thumping spectacle.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

We went to church only rarely now, mostly because it had become such a spectacle, involving reporters shouting questions as we walked in to worship.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

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.