showmanship
part of speech
noun (showmanship — uncountable)
meaning for a pupil
Skill at entertaining a crowd and getting attention, by doing things in a bold, exciting or dramatic way. tree →
sense in the lessons
In stories, sport and the arts, showmanship describes performers who don't just do something well but make it fun to watch, like a footballer doing tricks or a magician with a big cape. In English lessons it can be praise (great entertainment) or criticism (showing off more than being good). Phrases: «a bit of showmanship», «pure showmanship».
examples
- The magician's showmanship had the whole hall gasping. tree →
- His goal celebration was pure showmanship. tree →
- The circus ringmaster was famous for his showmanship. tree →
- Good showmanship can make even a science demo exciting. tree →
- She plays well, but she needs less showmanship and more teamwork. tree →
- P. T. Barnum was known for his showmanship and his tall tales. tree →
note
Uncountable. From «showman» + «-ship». Not about «ships». Used of anyone, man or woman.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «showmanship» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.