An explanation of the different meanings of the English phrasal verb 'show off' from a native speaker, with lots of examples in context
Hello and welcome to my website for English learners all about phrasal verbs where I explain their different meanings to help you understand, learn and use them.
This post is all about the phrasal verb 'show off', which is a fantastic phrasal verb for those of you who love to impress other people with your skills and your achievements. In this post, I will explore three different ways to use this common phrasal verb and will provide you with lots of example sentences to show you how they are used by native speakers to help your English sound nice and natural. So, without further ado, let's make a start....
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SHOW OFF: KEY INFORMATION
Usage | Common |
Number of meanings | 3 |
Past tense forms | Showed off / Showed off |
Separable? | Sometimes |
MEANINGS (Click to jump to each one)
THE BASICS
Before we look at the meanings of 'show off' as a phrasal verb, let's first consider what the words 'show' and 'off' mean as separate lexical units.
The verb 'to show' is a common irregular verb in English, which in its most basic form means to present or display something for people to look at or watch. Moreover, it can also be used to mean to demonstrate how to do something, to prove something and to express feelings and ideas.
I showed a picture of my children.
John showed his wife the new car that he had bought.
Don't show me that video; I don't want to see it.
Can you show me how to change a lightbulb?
The results of the test showed that her cancer had gone away.
People find it difficult to show their emotions in public.
The prepositional particle 'off' is a very common inclusion in phrasal verb constructions and can convey a variety of different meanings. Some of the most notable of these are departure (set off), decrease (wear off), separation (take off) and completion (pay off). Additionally, 'off' can be used in some phrasal verbs to convey the idea of attracting attention, which is the category that 'show off' falls into.
So, now that we have looked at the basics, let's take a look at the different meanings of the phrasal verb 'show off'....
MEANING 1: To show people something that you are proud of
CEFR Language Level | B2 - Upper intermediate |
Usage | Common |
Where is it used? | Everywhere |
Potential synonyms | To show, to display, to demonstrate, to flaunt |
Separable? | Yes |
Our first meaning of 'show off' is one that we all do from time to time and that is to show people something that we are proud of.
Nouns commonly used with this application....
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Humans are social animals and as such, we all (or most of us) need a supportive network of people who love and care for us. We are also naturally pre-programmed to seek validation and approval from those people around us. One of the ways that we do this is by showing them something that we own or that we have done that we are proud of and for this action we can use the phrasal verb 'show off'.
When we use this application of 'show off', we are essentially making something visible or obvious to the people around us to attract their attention, so that they will admire it and say nice things, giving is that validation that we often need in the process.
On a grammatical note, this usage of 'show off' takes a direct object and is therefore separable. The direct object is the thing that we are showing off and can either be placed between 'show' and 'off' or after them, with no difference to the meaning.
Susan bought a new dress and couldn't wait to show it off at the party.
Tim loves showing his expensive watch off whenever he meets new people.
The artist proudly showed his latest painting off to the guests.
Sarah got a new haircut and kept flipping her hair to show it off.
The kids were excited to show off their science projects at the school fair.
Adam speaks fluent French and Spanish and loves showing off his language skills to impress his dates.
The chef showed his culinary skills off by preparing an elaborate five-course meal.
The gymnast performed an impressive routine to show off her flexibility.
Ryan took off his jacket to show his muscular arms off.
MEANING 2: To seek admiration and attention
CEFR Language Level | B2 - Upper intermediate |
Usage | Common |
Where is it used? | Everywhere |
Potential synonyms | To flaunt, to boast, to brag, to crow, to gloat |
Separable? | No |
Our second application of 'show off' is really just a variation of the previous one that we looked at and just means to seek admiration and attention.
Grammatically, there is a key difference with the previous application because this time we do not have a direct object. Thus, if we say that a person is 'showing off', then they are trying to draw attention and admiration towards themselves instead of an object or a skill that they possess.
In addition to this, the other main difference between this application and the first is that this one is quite negative in nature and is usually used as a criticism of somebody. The reason for this is that when people are showing off, they are consciously and obviously trying to impress people, which I think many people (including myself) find annoying and irritating.
John always shows off when there's a crowd around.
Stop showing off; we all know you're good at basketball!
Victoria kept showing off in class by answering every question before anyone else had a chance.
Carl was showing off at the gym, lifting heavier weights than necessary just to impress people.
Instead of being humble about his promotion, Richard just kept showing off.
The actor couldn’t resist showing off on stage with unnecessary dramatic gestures.
Pete showed off by doing fancy tricks on his skateboard.
The student kept showing off by using big words to try and sound more intelligent.
STOP ACTING LIKE A CHILD!
This application of 'show off' is often associated with children and young people as it is something that they often do when they are misbehaving. This is perhaps a combination of being bored and not having fully developed social skills, meaning that they seek attention from the people around them by being loud, cheeky or boisterous.
The little boy loves to show off whenever guests come over.
Kevin's young daughter started showing off by singing loudly, even though no one asked her to.
Calm down and stop showing off! If you carry on, you will be sent to your room.
THE NOUN SHOW-OFF
I think you can probably guess the meaning of the noun 'show-off' based on the application that we have just looked at but if not, let me clarify. A show-off is a person who has a tendency to show off all the time to try and impress people and always be the centre of attention. Like with the phrasal verb application, this noun is pejorative in nature and is normally used as mild criticism of someone.
Jake is such a show-off; he is always bragging about his expensive gadgets.
No one likes a show-off, so try to be more humble.
Emma’s a real show-off when it comes to dancing; she loves being the centre of attention.
That child is a total show-off, always trying to impress the teacher.
MEANING 3: To emphasise your best features
CEFR Language Level | C1 - Advanced |
Usage | Medium |
Where is it used? | Everywhere |
Potential synonyms | To emphasise, to accentuate |
Separable? | Yes |
Our third and final application of the phrasal verb 'show off' is another one that is used to talk about impressing people and this time it means 'to emphasise your best features'.
Nouns commonly used with this application....
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As you can see from the list above, we use this application of 'show off' mainly to talk about body parts, specifically those that are visible to other people. When we show these particular bodily features off, we are doing something to make them seem obvious, therefore making us look more attractive as a result.
For example, a woman with a body shape that she is proud of may put on a dress that makes it more more evident to people, so that people find her sexier; in this case, we would say that the dress "shows off her figure". Alternatively, if you go on holiday and get a suntan and you want other people to see it, you might wear clothes that reveal lots of your tanned skin when you come home as you want to "show off your tan"(British people do this a lot).
Like with the first application, this usage is separable and takes a direct object, which is the part of the body that you want to show off.
Kim wore a sleeveless dress to show off her toned arms.
Jake styled his hair differently to show his new haircut off.
The model wore a high-slit gown to show off her long legs.
Claire smiled brightly to show off her perfect teeth.
Joseph unbuttoned the top of his shirt to show off his muscular chest.
Lucy chose a backless dress to show off her smooth skin.
The princess wore high heels to show off her posture and curves.
The athlete wore a fitted jersey to show off his strong physique.
Paul took off his jacket to show off his broad shoulders.
We have now reached the end of this post and I just want to say thank you for clicking on my post and reading it. I hope that you've enjoyed it and have been able to learn something new about the phrasal verb 'show off'. If you enjoyed this post, please go ahead and check out some of my other posts.
Now it is YOUR turn. Can you think of a sentence yourself using 'show off'. Write it in the comments section below if you can, or alternatively any comments, suggestions or feedback that you may have....don't be shy!!!
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THE END
Thanks, always so helpful!
So well explained, thank you!