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View synonyms for

show-off

[ shoh-awf, -of ]

noun

  1. a person given to pretentious display.

    Synonyms: ,

  2. the act of showing off.


show off

verb

  1. tr to exhibit or display so as to invite admiration
  2. informal.
    intr to behave in such a manner as to make an impression
“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

noun

  1. informal.
    a person who makes a vain display of himself
“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
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Other Word Forms

  • Ƿ-Ǵڴi adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of show-off1

First recorded in 1770–80; noun use of verb phrase show off
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Idioms and Phrases

Display in an ostentatious, conspicuous way; also, seek attention by displaying one's accomplishments, abilities, or possessions. For example, I'm wearing shorts to show off my Florida tan , or Karen loved showing off her new baby to her friends , or There's no need to show off, Fred; we all know you're a good dancer . [Early 1800s]
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Charlie says he doesn't want to be seen as a show-off, so when asked about himself volunteers "something else a bit more boring".

From

As a child, he would sometimes talk to this star, but only when he was his most serious, real self, and not being any sort of a show-off or clown.

From

for other dancers might be show-off steps are integrated into a poetic vision, a different way of being.

From

As a child she loved to perform — she recalled herself as “a shameful show-off” — but she never considered an acting career.

From

“It’s a little bit of a show-off song, but people also like to sing along to the chorus because it’s very simple,” she said.

From

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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.

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