show·er
ˈshau̇(-ə)r 
1
a
: a fall of rain of short duration
b
: a similar fall of sleet, hail, or snow
2
: something resembling a rain shower
a shower of statistics
especially
: a fall of meteors which belong to a single group and whose trails appear to originate at the same point in space
3
: a party given by friends who bring gifts often of a particular kind
a bridal shower
4
: a bath in which water is showered on the body
also
: the apparatus that provides a shower
showered; showering; showers
1
: to rain or fall in or as if in a shower
letters showered on him in praise and protest
2
: to bathe in a shower
1
a
: to wet (as with water) in a spray, fine stream, or drops
b(1)
: to cause to fall in a shower
factory chimneys showered soot on the district
(2)
: to cause a shower to fall on
showered the newlyweds with rice
2
: to give in abundance
showered her with honors
Synonyms
Examples of shower in a Sentence
Verb
Please shower before using the pool.
Sparks from the machine showered onto the floor of the garage.
Rice showered down on the newlyweds as they left the church.
Recent Examples on the Web
A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 22 Sep. 2023
But the clouds and showers are forecast to stick around for parts of the Northeast on Sunday as the storm slowly leaves the region.
—Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 21 Sep. 2023
Even though heat stroke no longer is a danger for Artscape, the National Weather Service is predicting a 40% chance of showers Saturday and Sunday.
—Mary Carole McCauley, Baltimore Sun, 19 Sep. 2023
A couple of bucks was enough to eat, sleep, shower, and get wasted on some of the best pot on the planet.
—Cheri Lucas Rowlands, Longreads, 18 Sep. 2023
Before purchasing a shower curtain liner, be sure to take into consideration how well-ventilated the bathroom is and how frequently the shower is used.
—Alice Knisley Matthias, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Sep. 2023
Nothing takes the relaxation out of bath time quite like being met with a starchy, scratchy towel straight out of the shower.
—Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 19 Sep. 2023
Price at time of publish: $37 Dimensions: 15.7 x 15.7 x 19 inches | Materials: Silk, plastic, coconut fiber, metal | Outdoor Use: Yes
These flowers remind us of the beauty that comes after April showers.
—Lee Alisha Williams, Southern Living, 18 Sep. 2023
Partly cloudy, breezy and warm with a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms at night.
—Kxas-Tv (nbc5), Dallas News, 18 Sep. 2023
Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2023
All those technologies struggled to gain traction in the United States before the law showered them with tax breaks.
—Jim Tankersley, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2023
So, be sure to shower, comb your hair, and put on a clean shirt.
—Brad Mislow, CBS News, 10 Sep. 2023
The head of Europe’s largest airline was standing in Brussels next to a life-size cardboard cutout of Ursula von der Leyen, the EU Commission president, when two climate activists literally showered him with cream pies.
—Paige Hagy, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2023
Ant Anstead is showering his little guy with love on his birthday.
—Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 7 Sep. 2023
The trailer opens with Antonio, in typical teenage fashion, taking part in extracurricular activities and showering his mother with dutiful affection.
—Holly Jones, Variety, 6 Sep. 2023
This polyester bath rug will elevate their bathroom’s aesthetic while keeping them safe after a bath or shower thanks to its skid-resistant backing.
—Jenna Clark, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Sep. 2023
The audience at Venice showered Allen with a customary 3-minute standing ovation that seemed to emotionally move the filmmaker (though at Venice, ovations under five minutes are considered short).
—Jonah Valdez, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2023
See More
Noun
Confidence: Medium Partly to mostly cloudy skies could continue Monday and Tuesday, with very slight chances for showers.
—A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 22 Sep. 2023
But the clouds and showers are forecast to stick around for parts of the Northeast on Sunday as the storm slowly leaves the region.
—Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 21 Sep. 2023
Even though heat stroke no longer is a danger for Artscape, the National Weather Service is predicting a 40% chance of showers Saturday and Sunday.
—Mary Carole McCauley, Baltimore Sun, 19 Sep. 2023
A couple of bucks was enough to eat, sleep, shower, and get wasted on some of the best pot on the planet.
—Cheri Lucas Rowlands, Longreads, 18 Sep. 2023
Before purchasing a shower curtain liner, be sure to take into consideration how well-ventilated the bathroom is and how frequently the shower is used.
—Alice Knisley Matthias, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Sep. 2023
Nothing takes the relaxation out of bath time quite like being met with a starchy, scratchy towel straight out of the shower.
—Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 19 Sep. 2023
Price at time of publish: $37 Dimensions: 15.7 x 15.7 x 19 inches | Materials: Silk, plastic, coconut fiber, metal | Outdoor Use: Yes
These flowers remind us of the beauty that comes after April showers.
—Lee Alisha Williams, Southern Living, 18 Sep. 2023
Partly cloudy, breezy and warm with a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms at night.
—Kxas-Tv (nbc5), Dallas News, 18 Sep. 2023
Verb
In Manet’s heyday, the nudes that were showered with all the honors at the Salon (Paris’s annual showcase for contemporary art) were not images of real women.
—Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2023
All those technologies struggled to gain traction in the United States before the law showered them with tax breaks.
—Jim Tankersley, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2023
So, be sure to shower, comb your hair, and put on a clean shirt.
—Brad Mislow, CBS News, 10 Sep. 2023
The head of Europe’s largest airline was standing in Brussels next to a life-size cardboard cutout of Ursula von der Leyen, the EU Commission president, when two climate activists literally showered him with cream pies.
—Paige Hagy, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2023
Ant Anstead is showering his little guy with love on his birthday.
—Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 7 Sep. 2023
The trailer opens with Antonio, in typical teenage fashion, taking part in extracurricular activities and showering his mother with dutiful affection.
—Holly Jones, Variety, 6 Sep. 2023
This polyester bath rug will elevate their bathroom’s aesthetic while keeping them safe after a bath or shower thanks to its skid-resistant backing.
—Jenna Clark, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Sep. 2023
The audience at Venice showered Allen with a customary 3-minute standing ovation that seemed to emotionally move the filmmaker (though at Venice, ovations under five minutes are considered short).
—Jonah Valdez, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shower.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1)
Middle English shour, from Old English scūr; akin to Old High German scūr shower, storm, Latin caurus northwest wind
First Known Use
Noun (1)
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1
Noun (2)
15th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of shower was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing shower
Dictionary Entries Near shower
Cite this Entry
“Shower.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shower. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
shower
1 of 2 noun
show·er
ˈshau̇(-ə)r
1
a
: a short fall of rain over a small area
b
: a similar fall of sleet, hail, or snow
2
: something resembling a shower
a shower of sparks
3
: a party where gifts are given especially to a bride or pregnant woman
4
: a bath in which water is sprayed on a person
also
: a device for providing such a bath
shower
2 of 2 verb1
: to rain or fall in or as if in a shower
2
: to bathe in a shower
3
: to wet with fine spray or drops
4
: to provide in great quantity
showered them with attention
More from Merriam-Webster on shower
Nglish: Translation of shower for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of shower for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about shower
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