display
Americanverb (used with object)
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displays,
present (3rd person singular)
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displayed,
past participle, past
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displaying
present participle
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to show or exhibit; make visible.
to display a sign.
- Antonyms:
- conceal
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to reveal; betray.
to display fear.
- Antonyms:
- conceal
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to unfold; open out; spread out.
to display a sail.
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to show ostentatiously; flaunt.
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Printing. to give special prominence to (words, captions, etc.) by choice, size, and arrangement of type.
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Digital Technology. to output (data) on a screen.
verb (used without object)
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displays,
present (3rd person singular)
-
displayed,
past participle, past
-
displaying
present participle
noun
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displays
plural
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an act or instance of displaying; exhibition.
a display of courage.
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an ostentatious show.
a vulgar display of wealth.
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Printing.
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the giving of prominence to particular words, sentences, etc., by the choice, size, and arrangement of types and position, as in an advertisement, headline, or news story.
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printed matter thus displayed.
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an arrangement, as of merchandise, art objects, or flowers, designed to please the eye, attract buyers, etc.
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Digital Technology.
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the visual representation of the output of an electronic device.
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the portion of an electronic device that shows this representation, as a screen, lens, or reticle.
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Animal Behavior.
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a pattern of behavior, as posturing, calling, or exposing a color patch, that conveys information to individuals of the same or another species.
a threat display.
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an instance of such behavior.
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verb
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(tr) to show or make visible
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(tr) to disclose or make evident; reveal
to display anger
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(tr) to flaunt in an ostentatious way
to display military might
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(tr) to spread or open out; unfurl or unfold
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(tr) to give prominence to (headings, captions, etc) by the use of certain typefaces
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(intr) zoology to engage in a display
noun
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the act of exhibiting or displaying; show
a display of fear
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something exhibited or displayed
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an ostentatious or pretentious exhibition
a display of his accomplishments
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an arrangement of certain typefaces to give prominence to headings, captions, advertisements, etc
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printed matter that is eye-catching
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electronics
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a device capable of representing information visually, as on a cathode-ray tube screen
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the information so presented
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zoology a pattern of behaviour in birds, fishes, etc, by which the animal attracts attention while it is courting the female, defending its territory, etc
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(modifier) relating to or using typefaces that give prominence to the words they are used to set
Usage
What does display mean? To display is to make visible or show to others, as in Francis’s teacher displayed his homework on the “Good Job!” board. A display is an arrangement or showing, as in The art display included paintings and sketches by the famous artist. To display can also mean to reveal or betray, as when you display your feelings with the look on your face. Less commonly, to display means to unfold or spread out, the way a sail does in the wind. Example: We bought the display model so we ended up saving a few dollars.
Synonym Usage
Display, evince, exhibit, manifest mean to show or bring to the attention of another or others. To display is literally to spread something out so that it may be most completely and favorably seen: to display goods for sale. To exhibit is to display something in a show: to exhibit the best flowers. They may both be used for showing (off ) one's qualities or feelings: He displayed his wit. He exhibited great surprise. To evince and to manifest also mean to show feelings or qualities: to evince or manifest surprise, interest.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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displayernoun
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predisplaynoun
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self-displaynoun
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redisplayverb (used with object)
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undisplayingadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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displaysimple
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displayssimple
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have displayedperfect
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has displayedperfect
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am displayingprogressive
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are displayingprogressive
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is displayingprogressive
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have been displayingperfect progressive
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has been displayingperfect progressive
Past
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displayedsimple
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had displayedperfect
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was displayingprogressive
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were displayingprogressive
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had been displayingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of display
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English desplayen, displayen, from Anglo-French, Old French despleier, desplier, desploier, from Late Latin displicāre “to unfold”; see origin at dis- 1, -fold
Explanation
When you display something, you show everyone. If you run up to someone in the street, throw your arms around her, and plant a big kiss on her face, you're displaying your affection for all the world to see. Besides public displays of emotion, a display can also be common and lifeless. Department store windows often have elaborate displays of the latest fashions, and your computer screen can also be called a display. If you’re especially proud of your butterfly collection, you can put it on display in your office. When showing off for the ladies, peacocks fan out their colorful tail feathers, and that, too, is called a display — a word for male animal courtship behavior.
Vocabulary lists containing display
Essential English Vocabulary, List 4
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Word Generation Weekly - Series 1
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Computer Terms
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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.
See Examples For:
The company that put on the fireworks display charges around $70,000 for such shows.
From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026
Helmets can’t even display their logos in the NFL so the league can avoid the impression that it plays favorites with safety gear.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
The concert was capped off with the emotion of the night - his track Main Hoon Punjabi, which means "I am Punjab" - set to a spectacular firework display.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
Survivors, including tens of thousands of residents, non-emergency civil servants, commuters and students, have to display symptoms first.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026
“Because they’re trying to dig up the past to put it in display boxes. I’m trying to unearth magic.”
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
But the 23-year-old's lack of match fitness appeared to finally catch up with him in a high-octane encounter filled with breathless exchanges and astounding displays of athleticism.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
At last year’s event, while a mob of gadget reviewers rushed the displays of iPhone 17s, and swarmed Tim Cook, Ternus stood to the side, chatting quietly with other Apple executives and almost entirely ignored.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s new David Geffen Galleries organize much of the collection around oceans and the cultural exchanges they enabled, while Tate Modern has long arranged its displays thematically.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
While Google Maps displays “Gulf of America” when in the map in the U.S.,
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
The control panels were pieced-together displays and switches that seemed to come from a dozen sources.
From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles
TCR-based treatments offer another route because their receptors can identify protein fragments that originate inside tumor cells and are later displayed on the cell surface.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026
He described France allowing it to come to the UK and be displayed at the British Museum as "an enormous act of diplomacy".
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
An immense wave of patriotism followed the 9/11 attacks, with American flags displayed throughout the nation, while Bush saw record-high approval ratings.
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
For the artist Valdez — whose photographic work is displayed on the gallery’s red wall — being a Chicana photographer in the 1970s and 1980s presented challenges within the city’s fast-growing immigrant community.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
The vast, fluid space creates an atmosphere of quiet harmony while actively shaping our experience by determining how art shall be displayed.
From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson
The practice has alarmed de la Espriella’s political opponents and human-rights groups, who accuse him of displaying the dead as trophies and violating international rules that prohibit desecrating those killed in operations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
Cancer cells within the same tumor can differ considerably from one another, and some can stop displaying the molecular marker that a treatment was designed to recognize.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026
Twenty-five years after the September 11, 2001 attacks that would define his presidency, George W. Bush, now an avid painter, is displaying 16 pieces of art inspired by the tragic events.
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
He needs to be off the meds for at least 72 hours before he can be released, and he also needs to start displaying normal, wild behaviors, including aggression.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
The effect was that he displayed a quarter in his hand, raised it to his mouth, blew on it, and lowered it again, displaying the same quarter all the while.
From "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman
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.
