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to peacock

to peacock

1 8.1
To dress or act in a very showy way to attract attention
  • verb
  • /ˈpiːkɒk/
  • Informal
translation icon : pavonearse

It's a lot of alpha peacocking, like an NBA playbook.

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Examples

  • Are you peacocking?

  • He loves to peacock at parties, wearing flashy clothes and telling extravagant stories.

  • She was peacocking in her bright, sequined dress, hoping to catch everyone's eye at the event.

  • To get noticed in the crowd, he decided to peacock with a colorful outfit and bold accessories.

Synonyms

to flaunt
vsto peacock
62 5.7

To show something in a very obvious way to get attention

is used more generally for showy dress or behaviour to get attention
to boast
vsto peacock
53 4.9

To show something you own to get people's attention

is broader and includes acting or dressing to attract admiration not only display
to parade
vsto peacock
47 3.9

To walk or behave to show off and attract attention

focuses more on general showy behaviour and dressing rather than just walking
to flex
vsto peacock
  • Slang
12 7.7

To show off something to impress other people, often on social media

is the same core act but often modern and casual rather than formal
to showboat
vsto peacock
  • Informal
1 7.5

Act in a flashy way to get attention

is broader, covering both dress and behaviour to attract admiration
to put on the dog
vsto peacock
  • Informal
1 9.9

Act in a showy way to impress people

is similar but can also mean dressing up to attract attention
to swank
vsto peacock
  • Informal
1 8.3

To show off your clothes or things to seem important

is the broader idea of showy behaviour or dress to get admiration
to plume
vsto peacock
  • Literature
1 7.9

To dress or groom yourself with great pride and care

focuses more on broad showy behaviour and attention seeking not just dressing
to ostentate
vsto peacock
9.9

To show things in a way that makes people admire you

is the common informal term for dressing or acting to attract attention
to gasconade
vsto peacock
  • Archaic
9.9

To talk about yourself to show you are more important

is similar but may also include visual display and dressing for attention
to pimpin'
vsto peacock
  • Slang
9.9

Behaving in a showy, confident way to impress people

is similar but carries slangy lifestyle connotations rather than general showiness
to dandify
vsto peacock
  • Archaic
9.6

To dress someone or make them act in a showy, fashionable way

is broader, applying to both acting and dressing to attract attention
to ruffle
vsto peacock
8.3

Walk in a proud showy way to get attention

is more general, covering any showy dress or behaviour to attract attention

Antonyms

18 5.2

To make something seem smaller or less important than it really is

Idioms

1 7.4

Being very pleased with yourself and showing it in a loud, showy way

Compounds

1 3.8

A bright blue color with a green tint like a peacock's feathers

A large bird from India with long bright blue and green tail feathers

peacock flower
  • Australian
8.6

A tropical tree or shrub that has large red and orange flower clusters

A small tree grown as a fence with groups of yellow-white flowers

peacock ore
  • Specialized
9.9

A rock with copper and iron that has bright blue and purple colors like peacock feathers

A famous gold throne used by Mughal emperors in India, richly decorated

A bright greenish-blue color like a peacock's feathers

A European butterfly with reddish-brown wings and purple eye-like spots

How Showy

to peacock
  • Informal
1 8.1
to show off
  • Informal
216 3.2
to strut
41 5.5
to parade
47 3.9
to display
439 1.9

Surface Forms

peacock infinitive
peacocked past
peacocked past participle
peacocking present participle
peacocks third person singular

Etymology

Peacock as a verb comes from the bird's habit of showing its tail, so to peacock means 'to show off', to act or dress in a very showy way to get attention.