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
showboated; showboating; showboats
: to behave in a conspicuous or ostentatious manner : show off
showboater
noun
Synonyms
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
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 17 May 2024
Her character, Corrine, is bold and sparkly, the kind of showboat who leaps atop a bar to belt Wham!
—Amy Nicholson, Variety, 7 Sep. 2023
John Shea, San Francisco Chronicle, 16 Apr. 2022
But that was neither showboating nor talking trash.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 1 Apr. 2020
See all Example Sentences for showboat 
Noun
Keoghan’s performance is a bit of a showboat stunt (he’s supposed to be a terrible father but doesn’t seem like a father at all).
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 17 May 2024
Her character, Corrine, is bold and sparkly, the kind of showboat who leaps atop a bar to belt Wham!
—Amy Nicholson, Variety, 7 Sep. 2023
Verb
Don’t showboat around the bases.
—John Shea, San Francisco Chronicle, 16 Apr. 2022
But that was neither showboating nor talking trash.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 1 Apr. 2020
See all Example Sentences for showboat
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'showboat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Showboat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/showboat. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
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