showing off
Displaying for admiration
Showing off is behaving in a way designed to attract attention or impress others, often with a note of excess or vanity: Stop showing off and just answer the question.
The term implies the display is more about the performer than the audience—someone showing off wants to be seen and admired.
Speak with excessive pride
- swaggerConfident, boastful manner
- flauntDisplay to provoke envy
- gloatRelish superiority smugly
- grandstandTiered spectator seating structure
trumpet · crow · hotdog · showboat · bluster · vaunt · exaggerate · embellish
Cabinet for displaying items
- exhibitItem publicly displayed
- demonstrateShow or prove something
- presentGift or current moment
- unveilReveal something hidden
debut · premiere · highlight · spotlight · parade · model · sport · flash
Excessive counterbalancing reaction
- bravadoPretense of fearlessness
- posturingInsincere behavior for effect
- pretenseDeceptive outward show
- attention-seekingCraving others' focus
fishing for compliments · defensiveness · impostor syndrome · self-consciousness · neediness · fragility · vulnerability · validation-seeking
Ostentatious showiness
- ostentationVulgar flaunting of means
- extravaganceExcessive, wasteful spending
- theatricalityExaggerated, showy manner
- spectacleVisually striking event
pageantry · pomp · glitz · glamour · dazzle · pizzazz · panache · razzle-dazzle
Exaggerated self-admiration
- smugnessExcessive pride in oneself
- egotismInflated sense of self-importance
- narcissismExcessive admiration of oneself
- vanityExcessive pride in oneself
self-importance · hubris · haughtiness · superiority · pompousness · self-admiration · preening · snobbery
brag
Speak with excessive pride
grandstand · trumpet · crow · hotdog · showboat · bluster · vaunt · exaggerate · embellish · bigmouth
showcase
Cabinet for displaying items
- exhibitItem publicly displayed
- demonstrateShow or prove something
- presentGift or current moment
unveil · debut · premiere · highlight · spotlight · parade · model · sport · flash · brandish
overcompensation
Excessive counterbalancing reaction
attention-seeking · fishing for compliments · defensiveness · impostor syndrome · self-consciousness · neediness · fragility · vulnerability · validation-seeking · approval-seeking
flashiness
Ostentatious showiness
- ostentationVulgar flaunting of means
- extravaganceExcessive, wasteful spending
- theatricalityExaggerated, showy manner
spectacle · pageantry · pomp · glitz · glamour · dazzle · pizzazz · panache · razzle-dazzle · splashiness
conceit
Exaggerated self-admiration
- smugnessExcessive pride in oneself
- egotismInflated sense of self-importance
- narcissismExcessive admiration of oneself
vanity · self-importance · hubris · haughtiness · superiority · pompousness · self-admiration · preening · snobbery · airs
- bad behaviorcheating, stealing, lying, greed, selfishness
- childhood behaviorsgiggling, skipping, tantrums, whining, pouting
- self-promotionbragging, boasting, self-praise, humble brag, plugging
- slang behaviorsmessing around, fooling around, horsing around, slacking, loafing
- tomfoolerysilliness, foolery, clownery, clownishness, fooling around
- showboatingbragging, boasting, grandstanding, posturing, strutting
showing offkeeping a low profile
Avoiding notice deliberately
hiding · blending in · self-effacing · lying low · shrinking back
showing offmodesty
Absence of vanity
humility · understatement · self-deprecation · downplaying · self-effacement
show, off, shower, shown, showing, showy, show-off, shows, showed