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to strut one's stuff

to strut one's stuff

3 7.7
To confidently show your skills or style to impress people
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : presumir
  • Go, strut your stuff.
  • strut one's stuff onstage
  • see someone strut their stuff
  • chance to strut your stuff

Examples

Synonyms

to show off
vsto strut one's stuff
  • Informal
216 3.2

To act proudly to get attention or praise

focuses more on confident personal showing to impress others
to work it
vsto strut one's stuff
  • Informal
89 8.4

To act with confidence and skill to attract other people's attention

is similar but includes nonperforming displays like appearance or achievements
to flaunt
vsto strut one's stuff
62 5.7

To show something in a very obvious way to get attention

focuses more on showing personal skill, looks, or achievement confidently
to pose
vsto strut one's stuff
54 6.5

To act in a way that is not natural to impress others

centres on natural confident showing, not on affected or fake behaviour
to strut
vsto strut one's stuff
41 5.5

To walk proudly to attract attention

is broader, including skills and looks, not only proud movement
to flex
vsto strut one's stuff
  • Slang
12 7.7

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

is about impressing by talent or appearance rather than asserting power
to posture
vsto strut one's stuff
10 7.7

To pretend to be more important or clever than you are

is about genuine confident display rather than consciously exaggerated attitude
to swagger
vsto strut one's stuff
9 5.6

To walk or behave in a confident way to impress others

emphasizes confident display without the added arrogance or speech element
to flex one's muscle
vsto strut one's stuff
  • Informal
8 6.8

To show power to frighten or control others

is aimed at impressing by skill or appearance rather than by force
to put on airs
vsto strut one's stuff
  • Informal
4 8.4

Act as if you are better than other people

is about confident display to impress rather than claiming higher status
to showboat
vsto strut one's stuff
  • Informal
1 7.5

Act in a flashy way to get attention

keeps confident intent but is less theatrical and more self assured
to put on the dog
vsto strut one's stuff
  • Informal
1 9.9

Act in a showy way to impress people

is more about confident personal display rather than purely rich showiness
to make a show of oneself
vsto strut one's stuff
  • Informal
1 7.5

To behave so others notice you in an embarrassing way

is confident and proud in display without implying embarrassment for others
to show out
vsto strut one's stuff
  • Informal
7.4

Act in a loud way to get attention and impress people

is less necessarily extravagant and more about self confidence to impress
showboating
vsto strut one's stuff
  • Informal
7.5

Acting in a dramatic way to get attention

is broader, covering everyday confident displays outside performance contexts
to ostentate
vsto strut one's stuff
9.9

To show things in a way that makes people admire you

is similar but stresses genuine confidence rather than pretension
to gasconade
vsto strut one's stuff
  • Archaic
9.9

To talk about yourself to show you are more important

focuses more on showing abilities or appearance confidently than on bragging
to mog
vsto strut one's stuff
  • Slang
9.9

To brag about what you have done

is broader, covering physical appearance and skilled display as well
to flash around
vsto strut one's stuff
  • Informal
7.0

To show off expensive things, like a watch or car, to impress other people

is more about personal confident presentation rather than possessions alone
to swash one's buckle
vsto strut one's stuff
  • Archaic
9.9

To try to impress people by showing off or being charming

is similar but leans more on confident self display than on charm
to attitudinize
vsto strut one's stuff
  • Formal
9.9

To act in a way that is not natural to impress others

is sincere confident showing rather than a pretended or affected posture

Antonyms

18 5.2

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

To keep your talents or good work hidden instead of showing them to others

How Confident

to strut one's stuff
  • Informal
3 7.7
to demonstrate
211 3.1

Surface Forms

strut one's stuff infinitive
strutted one's stuff past participle
strutting one's stuff present participle
struts one's stuff third person singular

Morphology

strut + one + stuff

The sense 'to confidently display one's abilities' is directly derivable from combining 'strut' (to move confidently to attract attention) with 'one's stuff' (one's qualities or skills). This verb + possessive-noun composition maps onto a common 'show off/display' pattern that a B1 learner who knows the constituents should readily understand.

Etymology

Strut one's stuff comes from the image of someone making a proud, showy walk—like a model on a runway or a rooster strutting to get attention. Here strut is the proud walk and stuff means your skills or looks, so the phrase means 'to show off' or 'to try to impress others'.