showing

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A single presentation of a film, play, or exhibition to an audience.

   Grammar: Countable: an evening showing, two showings.

   Patterns

   • a showing of something
   • an evening showing

   We booked tickets for the 8 p.m. showing.

   The gallery held a private showing of her paintings.

   There were two showings of the film on Saturday.

2. 2nounusually singular

   How well someone or something performs or does in a contest or test.

   Grammar: Usually singular with an adjective: a strong showing.

   Patterns

   • a good showing
   • a poor showing

   The team made a strong showing in the final.

   Her showing in the exam surprised everyone.

3. 3verbtransitive

   Letting someone see something, or making something clear, as the -ing form of show.

   Grammar: Takes an object: showing the photos to a friend.

   Patterns

   • showing something to someone
   • showing someone something

   She is showing her friends the new apartment.

   The graph is showing a steady increase.

Word forms

Common combinations

strong showing

The new candidate had a strong showing in the polls.

poor showing

A poor showing in the first round ended their hopes.

special showing

The school arranged a special showing for students.

late showing

We caught the late showing at the cinema.

Synonyms and how they differ

screening

Screening applies only to films or TV, while showing can also cover plays and art.

performance

Performance suits live acts like theater and music better than a film showing.

display

Display suggests objects put out to be looked at, not a timed event.

Word family

show verb

to let something be seen

show noun

a performance or exhibition

showy adjective

brightly or boldly eye-catching

Commonly confused: showing or showering?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “showing”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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