showy

• shewey, shewy (obsolete)

From show (noun) +‎ -y.^[1]

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈʃəʊ.i/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈʃoʊ.i/
• Rhymes: -əʊi
• Homophone: showie

showy (comparative showier, superlative showiest)

1. (sometimes derogatory) Calling attention; flashy; standing out to the eye.
2. Making a striking or aesthetically pleasing display.

   showy flowers

3. (informal, chiefly of a literary work) Inclined to showing (by conveying an impression so that events are described in the narrative), instead of telling (by explicitly stating facts).

   Antonym: telly

   • 1999 November 21, sophie, “Squealer : first revision”, in alt.arts.poetry.comments‎^[1] (Usenet):

     I think my problem with it is that it's
     a) a little "telly" not "showy" in comparison to the rest […]

   • 2003 September 19, Patrick Null, “Failed Sept Challenge? (1409 words)”, in alt.fiction.original‎^[2] (Usenet):

     There's a way to make this more showy and less telly. It's like you're in a hurry to get on with the rest of the story.

   • 2009 May 18, @kimmcgowan, Twitter‎^[3], archived from the original on 2024-07-18:

     story is too, too telly; need at least 3 showy scenes to improve showing:telling ratio

   • 2016 February 12, Kelly, “Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo”, in Diva Booknerd‎^[4], archived from the original on 2024-07-18:

     Six of Crows is very telly and little showy. You are constantly getting info dumps and mini-flashbacks to the characters past.

   • 2024 July 1, pinkjamie, “Well...”, in BookishFirst‎^[5], archived from the original on 2024-07-18:

     The ending felt rushed to me, and I wish it would have been more showy and less telly.

• Thesaurus:gaudy

• slutty

• showily
• showiness
• showy goatsbeard
• showy mistletoe
• showy orchis
• showy sundew

• Whyos