showman

noun

show·​man ˈshō-mən How to pronounce showman (audio)
1
: the producer of a play or theatrical show
2
: a notably spectacular, dramatic, or effective performer
showmanship noun

Examples of showman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Kendrick was a mad scientist, a Broadway-level showman who switched his fits every few songs like a true pop star. Mano Sundaresan, Pitchfork, 9 May 2025 In the production, Lewis plays a widowed father of three adult children who is also a former vaudeville showman past his prime and a current-day barber desperately down on his luck. Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 24 Apr. 2025 The movie’s more interested in why certain people are so drawn to authoritarian showmen, and, most cuttingly, what makes everyone else tolerate that kind of rule just to get by. Alison Willmore, Vulture, 15 Feb. 2025 Patterson has made Judy into a dynamo, a standout on a show of standouts, and arguably the most unpredictable character in a world where Walton Goggins plays an elderly religious showman with a cocaine problem and a love of water skiing naked. Brian Grubb, Vulture, 1 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for showman

Word History

First Known Use

1728, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of showman was in 1728

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Showman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/showman. Accessed 19 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

showman

noun
show·​man ˈshō-mən How to pronounce showman (audio)
1
: the producer of a theatrical show
2
: a person having a special skill for presenting something in a dramatic way
showmanship noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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