showy
part of speech
adjective (showy, showier, showiest)
meaning for a pupil
1) Very bright, big or colourful so that people notice it, sometimes too much. tree →
2) Done to make people admire you rather than for a real purpose: a showy trick, a showy way of playing. tree →
sense in the lessons
A describing word that can praise («showy flowers» in a garden) or criticise («a showy car», «too showy»). In stories it tells the reader that a person likes to be looked at — Toad in The Wind in the Willows loves showy things: a gaudy caravan, fast motor cars and loud clothes. In gardening, showy flowers have large bright petals that attract bees.
examples
- Sunflowers are showy flowers. tree →
- His showy red car was parked outside the school. tree →
- She did a showy cartwheel just to impress everyone. tree →
- The footballer's showy trick lost the ball. tree →
- The peacock spread its showy tail. tree →
- Toad loved showy clothes and loud horns. tree →
- I prefer a simple cake to a showy one. tree →
note
Comparative «showier», superlative «showiest»; adverb «showily»; noun «showiness». Often slightly negative: it hints at showing off. Related: «show-off» (a person who shows off).
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «showy» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.