showboat

noun

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show·boat | \ ˈshō-ˌbōt

Definition of showboat

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

showboat

verb

showboated; showboating; showboats

Definition of showboat (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

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

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Examples of showboat in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Mank is no documentary but a semifactual yarn that burnishes the legend of the showboat, nasty wit, and habitual roisterer who wrote Citizen Kane. — Carl Rollyson, The New York Review of Books, "January 14, 2021," 5 Jan. 2021 Metcalfe said Barrera at a young age had a tendency to show a lazy streak or showboat. — Shawn Mcfarland, courant.com, "Hartford Athletic’s Danny Barrera made waves with his impressive goal. But the 30-year-old midfielder is more than just the viral play.," 4 Oct. 2020 There are no showboat solos, but there are plenty of piano phrases that are by turns handsome and pretty as the set becomes an entertaining celebration of a most accomplished accompanist. — Steven Wine, Star Tribune, "Review: Rare spotlight role for superb pianist Matt Rollings," 12 Aug. 2020 It was viewed as a showboat move by some, but when the bill passed, members of Congress and their staffs recognized Marler. — Washington Post, "He helped make burgers safer. Now he’s fighting food poisoning again.," 19 Jan. 2020 With the help of the late William D. Bowell Sr., the founder of the Padelford Packet Boat Co. in St. Paul, a new showboat was constructed and moored at Harriet Island. — Josh Verges, Twin Cities, "‘It’s on the move.’ Centennial Showboat finally leaves St. Paul for Winona," 16 Sep. 2019 In 2000, the showboat was destroyed by fire during a renovation project. — Josh Verges, Twin Cities, "‘It’s on the move.’ Centennial Showboat finally leaves St. Paul for Winona," 16 Sep. 2019 The Titanium is the showboat, with more safety features and conveniences, starting at $33,715 (front-drive). — San Diego Union-Tribune, "2019 Ford Escape: Last of a generation," 12 Aug. 2019 These rough-hewn showboats of the log drive are put together at the upper end of the river and follow the riverjacks downstream—tying up along the bank each night. — Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, "The Lost Art of Floating Logs Down the River," 16 Feb. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb But that was neither showboating nor talking trash. — Dalton Ross, EW.com, "Wendell Holland reacts to his Survivor villain edit and Michele drama," 1 Apr. 2020 There are no showboating gestures here, only a bone-deep commitment to showing us the lives of individuals often relegated to the cinematic sidelines, to the extent that the movies even notice them all. — Justin Chang, chicagotribune.com, "‘Give Me Liberty’ review: A medical transport van welcomes all," 12 Sep. 2019 Three quarters of sleepwalking, showboating and unwatchable basketball, followed by one quarter of the most intense and least-artistic basketball of the season. — Scott Ostler, SFChronicle.com, "NBA All-Stars party on, even without Warriors," 16 Feb. 2020 Bill Pullman is the Bilott team’s showboating West Virginia trial lawyer, who celebrates success in the courtroom by snapping his suspenders with satisfaction. — David Sims, The Atlantic, "A Chilling True Story of Corporate Indifference," 22 Nov. 2019 Fingers a-flutter, Marsalis confidently flew through composer Jacques Ibert’s flamboyant solo section — making sure his virtuosity was that of musicianship, not showboating. — Matthew J. Palm, orlandosentinel.com, "Branford Marsalis brings lyricism, dexterity to Orlando Philharmonic opener | Review," 29 Sep. 2019 The main negatives for me are showboating and mascots. — Bruce Jenkins, SFChronicle.com, "Was baseball better 50 years ago? Chronicle readers weigh in," 21 Sep. 2019 Their duel had something often lacking in this memorable era of men’s tennis: an edge, as Kyrgios showboated and intentionally smacked balls at Nadal’s body, ignoring the glares that Nadal sometimes fired back. — Christopher Clarey, New York Times, "Rafael Nadal Doesn’t Fall for Nick Kyrgios’s Bag of Tricks," 4 July 2019 Spedding, new guitarist Tom Vanstiphout and saxophonist Jorja Chalmers were particularly combustible—while never showboating or pulling focus from Ferry. — Melinda Newman, Billboard, "Bryan Ferry Captivates at Los Angeles' Greek Theater with Roxy Music and Solo Hits," 30 Aug. 2019

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.

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Last Updated

18 Jan 2021

Cite this Entry

“Showboat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/showboat. Accessed 26 Feb. 2021.

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More Definitions for showboat

showboat

noun

English Language Learners Definition of showboat

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a large boat that has a theater and a group of performers and that gives plays at towns and cities along a river

chiefly US, informal + usually disapproving : 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

showboat

verb

English Language Learners Definition of showboat (Entry 2 of 2)

chiefly US, informal + usually disapproving : to behave or perform in a way that is meant to attract the attention of a lot of people

See the full definition for showboat in the English Language Learners Dictionary

showboat

noun

show·boat | \ ˈshō-ˌbōt