ʃoʊ ʌp
informal
beginner
- Base verb:
- show
- Particle:
- up
- Separable:
- Yes
What does "show up" mean?
- To arrive or appear somewhere
- To become visible
- To make someone look bad by performing better
Examples
- He finally showed up an hour late.
- The stain didn't show up until I washed it.
- She showed everyone up with her performance.
- I waited, but they never showed up.
- The problem will show up in the test results.
How to use it
Very common in North American English. 'Turn up' is more British. 'Show someone up' means embarrass them.
Word order
For arriving: intransitive. For making someone look bad: separable ('show someone up').
Similar expressions
arrive
appear
turn up
outperform
Opposites
leave
disappear
hide
Related phrasal verbs
- show off
To display proudly to impress others
- show around
To guide someone through a place, pointing out features
- get up
To rise from bed after sleeping
- turn up
To increase the volume, heat, or intensity of something
- give up
To stop trying to do something, often because it is too difficult
- bring up
To mention or introduce a topic in conversation
Use it in a practice answer
Try "show up" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.