showstopper

noun

show·​stop·​per ˈshō-ˌstä-pər 

1

: an act, song, or performer that wins applause so prolonged as to interrupt a performance

2

: something or someone exceptionally arresting or attractive

the gold crown was the showstopper of the exhibition

3

: one that stops or could stop the progress, operation, or functioning of something

showstopping

ˈshō-ˌstä-piŋ 

adjective

Synonyms of showstopper

• doll
• looker
• lovely
• beauty
• eyeful
• babe
• dish
• ten
• dreamboat

Examples of showstopper in a Sentence

at the modeling agency everyone was a showstopper

Recent Examples on the Web

But the real showstopper was the two-story replica of Barbie’s Dreamhouse, complete with a 2D faux pool, a DJ spinning tracks, and the trademark spiral slide. — Serena Turner, Vanity Fair, 3 Nov. 2026

Thursday clears out with sun and a high of 72 degrees, but Friday is the real showstopper — temperatures surge to around 75 degrees, nearly 13 degrees above the late-October average and the warmest day of the stretch. — CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026

Kardashian also had her own archival showstopper for the Rome premiere. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2026

The showstopper is a very cute idea where each baker has to make a dessert cart with at least three classic desserts on it. — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1916, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for showstopper

• eavesdropper
• grasshopper
• improper
• leafhopper
• sharecropper
• chopper
• copper
• cropper
• dropper
• pauper
• popper
• proper