show-stopper

or show·stop·per

[ shoh-stop-er ]

noun

1. Theater. a performer, performance, or musical number that wins enthusiastic or prolonged applause:

   The singer proves that she is simply a show-stopper after her resoundingly successful debut.

2. a spectacularly arresting or appealing person or thing:

   This bright plaid suit is a real show-stopper.

3. a significant obstacle or problem, especially one halting a process already underway:

   The bug was a show-stopper, delaying the game's release by months.

show stopper

noun

1. informal.
   a stage act, etc, that receives so much applause as to interrupt the performance

Other Words From

• show-stop·ping show·stop·ping adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of show-stopper¹

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

The dip pairs exceptionally well with tortilla chips and salsa, but it can also be enjoyed with baguette slices and apples — the perfect dinner party show-stopper.

From Salon

Her "show-stopper" is a large creation made to look like an ice cream sundae.

From BBC

The voluminous dress, in two tones of new and aged copper, was a show-stopper that Lively unfurled to ascend the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s iconic stairs at the high-fashion affair.

From Los Angeles Times

“It was the most effective show-stopper I ever came up with,” he wrote unrepentantly in his 1999 memoir, “What’s Welsh for Zen.”

From Los Angeles Times

I was too busy being googly eyed over show-stopper ornamentals like roses.

From Los Angeles Times