spectacle
A spectacle is something you can't believe you are seeing. Get on top of your desk at work in your underpants while playing the kazoo and you're making a spectacle of yourself.
The word spectacle comes from the Latin spectaculum meaning "public show," an apt translation because a spectacle, like a public show, is something worth watching. A ballet is a spectacle, or an elaborate production worth watching. Often the word is used to describe something that has a particularly exciting visual element to it — like an acrobatic display or a magic trick. It's something you have to see to really appreciate.
-
something or someone seen (especially a notable or unusual sight)
-
type of:
-
sight
anything that is seen
-
sight
-
an elaborate and remarkable display on a lavish scale
-
types:
-
bullfight, corrida
a Spanish or Portuguese or Latin American spectacle; a matador baits and (usually) kills a bull in an arena before many spectators
-
naumachia, naumachy
a naval spectacle; a mock sea battle put on by the ancient Romans
-
novillada
a bullfight in which the bulls are less than four years old
-
type of:
-
display, presentation
a visual representation of something
-
bullfight, corrida
-
a blunder that makes you look ridiculous; used in the phrase `make a spectacle of' yourself
Vocabulary lists containing spectacle
French for "Fat Tuesday," Mardi Gras originated as a celebration of spring and evolved into an indulgent period often followed by fasting and sacrifice. It is an opportunity to have some Fun, Food, and Faith.
Middle schooler Daniel and his campmates battle for survival on the Crazy River in Montana.
Eighth-grader Molly is fed up with her school's unfair dress code policy, so she starts a podcast to protest it, sparking a rebellion.
Look up spectacle for the last time
Close your vocabulary gaps with personalized learning that focuses on teaching the words you need to know.
