showboat

1 of 2

noun

show·​boat ˈshō-ˌbōt 

1

: a river steamship containing a theater and carrying a troupe of actors to give plays at river communities

2

: one who tries to attract attention by conspicuous behavior

showboat

2 of 2

verb

showboated; showboating; showboats

intransitive verb

: to behave in a conspicuous or ostentatious manner : show off

showboater noun

Synonyms

Verb

• act up
• clown (around)
• cut up
• fool around
• horse around
• hotdog
• monkey (around)
• show off
• skylark

Examples of showboat in a Sentence

Noun

The fans like him, but the other players think he's a showboat.

Verb

She was showboating for the cameras when she tripped and fell.

the gymnast was showboating for the cameras when she lost her balance and fell

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Still, the factor that may have been most harmful were his relationships with fellow Republican lawmakers, who regarded him as an empty showboat willing to hurt the party to gain attention. —Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2024

Fonseca found Barbosa to be a showboat on Instagram, sure, but also unfailingly polite and generous. —Lauren Smiley, WIRED, 10 July 2024

Verb

Not even the biggest skeptic of American exceptionalism could deny the talent gap, which has often been so considerable that U.S. teams often take the opportunity to showboat during games, like the Harlem Globetrotters playing against the hapless Washington Generals. —Vulture Editors, Vulture, 31 July 2024

One thing that took away from Santos' performance was his willingness to showboat instead of looking for a finish. —Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1839, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1937, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

showboat

noun

show·​boat

ˈshō-ˌbōt

: a river steamboat used as a traveling theater