showboat

play

noun show·boat \ˈshō-ˌbōt\

Definition of showboat

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

See showboat defined for English-language learners

See showboat defined for kids

Examples of showboat in a Sentence

The fans like him, but the other players think he's a showboat.

Recent Examples of showboat from the Web

To be sure, Newton’s showboat style puts some off – and his looks are not ones that most people can, or should try to, pull off.

— cristina bolling, charlotteobserver, "On SI’s list of the 50 most fashionable athletes, did Cam get what he deserves?," 18 July 2017
One fascinating figure is Johnny Jenkins, a local guitar hero in Redding’s hometown, Macon, Ga., who takes Redding under his wing — opinions vary widely as to whether Jenkins was an underappreciated genius or an overrated showboat.

— alan light, New York Times, "Soul of the ’60s: Otis Redding’s Short Life and Long Reach," 2 June 2017
But Trump supporters see Comey as a grandstanding showboat who politicized the Russia probe -- a total nut job.

— the tylt, cleveland.com, "Is James Comey a hero or a 'nut job'?," 19 May 2017
But a performance — even one as showboat-y as this — does not a movie make.

— michael o'sullivan, The Denver Post, "Lackluster “Gold” centers on a showboat-y performance," 27 Jan. 2017
And the Omura’s keeps a relatively low profile compared to showboats like humpbacks, which make eye-catching leaps out of the water.

— National Geographic, "This Bus-Size Whale Is Even More Unusual Than We Thought," 10 Feb. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'showboat.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of showboat

1869

showboat

verb show·boat

Definition of showboat

intransitive verb
: to behave in a conspicuous or ostentatious manner : show off

showboater

noun

See showboat defined for English-language learners

Examples of showboat in a Sentence

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

First Known Use of showboat

1951

SHOWBOAT Defined for English Language Learners

showboat

play

noun

Definition of showboat for English Language Learners

: a large boat that has a theater and a group of performers and that gives plays at towns and cities along a river
: a person (such as an athlete) who behaves or performs in a way that is meant to attract the attention of a lot of people