show off

verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"show-off" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“show off” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To exhibit the best attributes of something.

Key facts for show off
PropertyValue
Headwordshow off
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “show off” sits in English frequency

show off falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for show off is 8 letters long, classified as a verb. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No generated misspelling entries exist for show off in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. The correct English form is show off, spelled S-H-O-W- -O-F-F.

Definition

  1. 1
    To exhibit the best attributes of something.
  2. 2
    To attract attention to for the purpose of bragging or personal exhibitionism; to demonstrate a skill, talent or property for the purpose of bragging or personal exhibitionism.

Synonyms

aura farmboulevardiercut a wide swathcut it fatcut roundexhibitionizefigure awayflamboastflauntflexflossfluff one's feathersgalleryhigh-sidelet one's nuts hangostentostentatepreenshowboatshow awayshow offstrutstrut one's stuffstuntswag it outswaggerswankthree-sheetvenditateyaya

Antonyms

hide one's light under a bushel

This word in other languages

chulear(Español)crâner(Français)angeben(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "show off"?
"show off" is spelled S-H-O-W- -O-F-F.
What does "show off" mean?
As a verb, "show off" means: To exhibit the best attributes of something.
What language does "show off" come from?
"show off" is a English word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “show off”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is S-H-O-W- -O-F-F - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list