Standard Lemma guide

no-show

noun · verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American: nōʹ shō'
  • General-American: /ˈnoʊ ˌʃoʊ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: N OW1 SH OW2 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An absence; failure to show up or to make a scheduled appearance, especially at a hotel or a place of employment.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A person or group that does not show up.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly

Examples

  • Out of fifty people who said they would attend, we only had three no-shows.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Ellipsis of no-show sock.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To fail to show up for something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

someone who shirks duty

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: nonattender, truant

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: wrongdoer, offender

6

noun

Meaning 6

a guest who fails to notify a hotel or restaurant when canceling a reservation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: guest

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

19 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: poissaolo — a failure to make a scheduled appearance
  • Japanese: ノーショー (nōshō) — a failure to make a scheduled appearance
  • Korean: 노쇼 (nosyo) — a failure to make a scheduled appearance
  • Polish: niestawienie się — a failure to make a scheduled appearance
  • Polish: nieobecność — a failure to make a scheduled appearance
  • Portuguese: não-comparecimento — a failure to make a scheduled appearance
  • Portuguese: descomparecimento — a failure to make a scheduled appearance
  • Portuguese: ausência — a failure to make a scheduled appearance
  • Portuguese: não-comparência — a failure to make a scheduled appearance
  • Spanish: incomparecencia — a failure to make a scheduled appearance
  • Finnish: haamuasiakas — somebody who does not show up
  • Finnish: haamupotilas — somebody who does not show up
  • Finnish: poissaoleva — somebody who does not show up
  • Galician: ausente — somebody who does not show up
  • Japanese: ノーショー (nōshō) — somebody who does not show up
  • Korean: 노쇼 (nosyo) — somebody who does not show up
  • Navajo: bideedį́į́ʼ — somebody who does not show up
  • Polish: osoba nieobecna — somebody who does not show up
  • Portuguese: ausente — somebody who does not show up