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Glite Dictionary
🙇 To take applause 🌟 To debut
to make one's bow

to make one's bow

7.9
To appear in public for the first time in an important role
  • idiom
  • Formal
translation icon : debutar
  • After a successful presentation at the conference, she finally made her bow as a respected expert in her field.

Examples

  • Make your bow

    Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

  • The young pianist made his bow to the audience after his stunning performance.

  • The actor made his bow at the end of the play, receiving a warm round of applause from the audience.

Synonyms

to debut
vsto make one's bow
59 4.3

To appear in public for the first time

focuses on a formal, noteworthy first public appearance rather than any introduction
to make one's debut
vsto make one's bow
10 4.6

Perform or appear in public for the first time as a professional

is performed publicly for the first time in a formal or notable way

Antonyms

to keep a low profile
36 3.9

Act quietly so people do not notice you

to fly under the radar
  • Informal
9 5.9

To avoid being noticed by other people

Surface Forms

make one's bow infinitive
making one's bow present participle
makes one's bow third person singular
made one's bow past
made one's bow past participle

Morphology

make + one + bow

The components 'make' + 'one's' + 'bow' literally point to performing a bow, so a learner who knows the words will likely infer it involves bowing or a formal gesture. However, the specific sense of 'making a public debut / presenting oneself publicly (especially for the first time)' and the idiomatic, somewhat formal register are extensions not fully predictable from the parts, so it is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Make one's bow comes from the idea of making your first public bow on a stage: the first time you step forward and get the audience's attention. So, it came to mean 'to perform or present oneself publicly for the first time'.