Meaning

(US) A river steamboat having a resident theatre..

Definitions by Sense

1. (US) A river steamboat having a resident theatre.
2. (informal, chiefly US, by extension) A showoff.
3. (informal, chiefly US, ambitransitive) To show off.

Example Sentences

And Agnes Moorehead henpecks with stern persistence as Parthy, the captain's loving wife. The sets, which include a full-sized showboat with belching double stacks and sternwheel, are in the best Metro tradition, which means as sumptuous as sumptuous can be.

Mr. Sterling was born in Baltimore on June 24, 1915, to Jack Sexton and Edna Cable, veteran performers in vaudeville, showboats and stock companies.

Lowriding emerged in the 1950's in California, as Mexican-American youths -- in what may have been a reaction to the hot-rod culture dominated by whites -- transformed their cars into fantastical, ground-hugging showboats.

Well, I was a little upset at first. I mean, obviously people are going to think I'm a showboat, and a little bit of a prick.

After the President fired his FBI director in early May, he dismissed Comey as “a showboat,” “a grandstander” and a “nut job.”

Out: Trash talk, dirty play, crybabying, showboating and players who can't be bothered to show up for games or keep their shoes on.

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.

Word Forms

• showboats
• showboating
• showboated

Synonyms for showboat

Related Words

When Should You Use Showboat?

Use showboat when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

Practice This Word

Frequently Asked Questions