show

[ shoh ]

/ ʃoʊ /

verb (used with object), showed, shown or showed, show·ing.

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), showed, shown or showed, show·ing.

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

a theatrical production, performance, or company.

a radio or television program.

a motion picture.

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.

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.Compare place(def 27b), win¹(def 17).

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.

an act or instance of showing.

a motion-picture theater.

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 Phrases

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.

Nearby words

shoveler, shovelful, shovelhead, shovelnose, shovelnose sturgeon, show, show and tell, show bag, show bill, show biz, show business

Idioms

make a show of, to be ostentatious about; affect: Whenever there are visitors, the bosses make a show of being nice to their employees.

run the show, to control a business, situation, etc.; be in charge: My father runs the show in our house.

steal the show,

to usurp the credit or get the applause for something: That woman can act, but the child stole the show. He did all the work, but his partner stole the show.
to be the most pleasing or spectacular item or person in a group.

stop the show, to win such enthusiastic applause that a theatrical performance is temporarily interrupted.

Origin of show

before 900; (v.) 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 v.

SYNONYMS FOR show

4 lead, conduct.

5 interpret, clarify, elucidate; reveal, disclose, divulge.

10 assert, affirm.

13 bestow, confer.

23 spectacle.

30 deception, pretense, simulation, illusion.

Related forms

show·a·ble, adjectiveshow·less, adjectiveout·show, verb (used with object), out·showed, out·shown or out·showed, out·show·ing.pre·show, adjective, noun, verb (used with object), pre·showed, pre·shown or pre·showed, pre·show·ing.

re·show, verb, re·showed, re·shown or re·showed, re·show·ing.su·per·show, nounun·show·a·ble, adjective

Synonym study

24, 25. Show, display, ostentation, pomp suggest the presentation of a more or less elaborate, often pretentious, appearance for the public to see. Show often indicates an external appearance that may or may not accord with actual facts: a show of modesty. Display applies to an intentionally conspicuous show: a great display of wealth. Ostentation is vain, ambitious, pretentious, or offensive display: tasteless and vulgar ostentation. Pomp suggests such a show of dignity and authority as characterizes a ceremony of state: The coronation was carried out with pomp and ceremonial.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for steal the show

show

/ (ʃəʊ) /

verb shows, showing, showed, shown or showed

to make, be, or become visible or noticeableto show one's dislike

(tr) to present to view; exhibithe showed me a picture

(tr) to indicate or explain; proveto show that the earth moves round the sun

(tr) to exhibit or present (oneself or itself) in a specific characterto show oneself to be trustworthy

(tr; foll by how and an infinitive) to instruct by demonstrationshow me how to swim

(tr) to indicate or registera barometer shows changes in the weather

(tr) to grant or bestowto show favour to someone

(intr) to appearto show to advantage

to exhibit, display, or offer (goods, etc) for salethree artists were showing at the gallery

(tr) to allege, as in a legal documentto 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 escortplease show me to my room

show in to conduct a person into a room or building by opening the door for him

show out 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

(intr) informal 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

US, Australian and NZ 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, mainly British a thing or affair (esp in the phrases good show, bad show, etc)

Australian and NZ mining a slight indication of the presence of gold

a display of farm animals, with associated competitions

for show in order to attract attention

run the show informal to take charge of or manage an affair, business, etc

steal the show to draw the most attention or admiration, esp unexpectedly

stop the show informal

(of a stage act, etc) to receive so much applause as to interrupt the performance
to be received with great enthusiasm

Word Origin for show

Old English scēawian; related to Old High German scouwōn to look, Old Norse örskār careful, Greek thuoskoos seer

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

Medicine definitions for steal the show

show

[ shō ]

n.

The first discharge of blood in menstruation.

The discharge of bloody mucus from the vagina indicating the start of labor.

Idioms and Phrases with steal the show (1 of 2)

steal the show

Also, steal the spotlight. Be the center of attention, as in The speeches were interesting but Eliza's singing stole the show. This idiom alludes to unexpectedly outshining the rest of the cast in a theatrical production. [First half of 1900s]

Idioms and Phrases with steal the show (2 of 2)

show

In addition to the idioms beginning with show

show and tell
show must go on, the
show off
show of hands
show one's colors
show one's face
show one's hand
show one's heels
show one's teeth
show one's true colors
show signs of
show someone the door
show someone the ropes
show someone a good time
show someone out
show the way
show the white feather
show to advantage
show up

also see:

bare (show) one's teeth
dog-and-pony show
false colors, show
for show
get the show on the road
go to show
know (show) the ropes
one-man show
road show
run the show
steal the show
(show one's) true colors