spectacle
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spectacle
- /ˈspɛktəkl̩/
Where it comes from
From Middle English spectacle, from Middle French spectacle, from Latin spectāculum (“a show, spectacle”), from spectō (“to see, behold”), frequentative of speciō (“to see”). See species. Doublet of spectaculum.
noun spectacles
- An exciting or extraordinary scene, exhibition, performance etc. The horse race was a thrilling spectacle.
- Drama and excitement in a display, product, performance, exhibition, etc. I enjoyed her presentation, but it needs more spectacle.
- An embarrassing or unedifying scene or situation. He made a spectacle out of himself.
- Attributive form of spectacles Some very interesting relics of Adam and Eve were shown us, that were brought from America; such as a fine-tooth comb, made of thorns, a part of a pair of leather spectacle frames, without glasses, a boot jack made of ebony, and a set of pawpaws of props, with the backs filled with a hard substance,
- The brille of a snake.
- A frame with different coloured lenses on a semaphore signal through which light from a lamp shines at night, often a part of the signal arm.
Similar: glasses, eyeglasses, specs
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: eyeglasses, specs, glasses, display, showmanship, showcase, performing, show, pageant, gala, scene, entertainer, finale, performance, entertainment, spectator
noun
Similar: glasses, eyeglasses, specs
Translations
Every language
noun something exciting or extraordinary
| Español | espectáculo |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 광경 gwanggyeong, 스펙터클 seupekteokeul |
| 日本語 | 壮観 sōkan, 光景 kōkei, スペクタクル supekutakuru |
| 中文 | 奇觀 /奇观 qíguān |
| Português | espetáculo, show, mostra |
| Français | spectacle |
| Deutsch | Spektakel, Schauspiel |
| Italiano | spettacolo |
| Ελληνικά | θέαμα théama |
| Română | spectacol |
| Русский | зре́лище zrélišče, спекта́кль spektáklʹ, представле́ние predstavlénije |
| العربية | مَشْهَد mašhad, مَسْرَحِيَّة masraḥiyya |
noun an embarrassing situation
| Español | espectáculo, papelón |
|---|---|
| Português | espectáculo |
Talk about this word "spectacle." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/spectacle. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. spectacle. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/spectacle "spectacle." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/spectacle.Cite this
@misc{spectacle_2026,
title = {spectacle},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/spectacle},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
