show
verb · noun
Simple meaning
To display, to have somebody see.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
shohIPA pronunciation (US)
ʃoʊ
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
To display, to have somebody see (something).
“All he had to show for four years of attendance at college was a framed piece of paper.”
To indicate (a fact) to be true; to demonstrate.
To bestow; to confer.
To guide or escort.
“Could you please show him on his way. He has overstayed his welcome.”
To be visible; to be seen; to appear.
To have an enlarged belly and thus be recognizable as pregnant.
noun
Mere display or pomp with no substance. (Usually seen in the phrases "all show" and "for show".)
“The dog sounds ferocious but it's all show.”
Outward appearance; wileful or deceptive appearance.
A play, dance, or other entertainment.
An exhibition of items.
A broadcast program/programme.
A movie.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A2 · Elementary
- Frequency
- Very Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: To display, to have somebody see (something).
Used this way, show is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“All he had to show for four years of attendance at college was a framed piece of paper.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Usage note
It most often appears in the pattern “show for …”, which is worth copying when you use it.
Natural pattern: show for …
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
How It’s Used
The word’s distinct uses, one example each.
Displayverb
“All he had to show for four years of attendance at college was a framed piece of paper.”
Guideverb
“Could you please show him on his way. He has overstayed his welcome.”
Merenoun
“The dog sounds ferocious but it's all show.”
More ways to use show
- “The blood test showed that he was the father.”verb
- “The diary shows his distress that evening.”verb
- “The thermometer showed thirteen degrees below zero.”verb
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Similar Words, What’s the Difference?
Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.
To display or show (something) for others to see, especially at an exhibition or contest.
To make a display; to act as one making a show or demonstration.
To display one's female genitalia in a way that signals to others that one is ready for copulation. Also referred to as….
To show, display, or present.
To uncover; to show and display that which was hidden.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
The display of a motion picture.
A plumbing fixture that sprays water over you.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A curtain that keeps water from splashing out of the shower area.
Rain abundantly.
A room with several showers.
Booth for washing yourself, usually in a bathroom.
A poster advertising a show or play.
Those involved in providing entertainment: radio and television and films and theater.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
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Words can change meaning depending on context.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API (CC BY-SA 3.0). Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.