showed
- 1Past tense of show.
The map showed three possible routes to the coast.
His face showed no sign of fear during the interview.
Note
The undisputed half of the pair: in the simple past, showed serves every meaning of the verb. It covers displaying (showed him the report), proving (the figures showed a rise), guiding (showed us to our seats) and being visible (the stain still showed). The choice only becomes delicate after have or be, where standard English usually switches to shown and the American participle keeps showed.
- 2Past participle of show. Less common than shown, and some consider it incorrect.
The latest results have showed a clear upward trend over time.
He had showed great patience throughout the long negotiation.
Note
Here the regular -ed ending has spread beyond the simple past into the participle: has showed, had been showed, where most English uses shown. The form is American, and it is sometimes proscribed, so in formal writing, applications or exams, has shown and was shown are the safe choices. Because the objection is only sometimes raised, using it is a question of audience rather than an outright error.
showed is a form of show
show, verb: To display something or make someone see it, by holding it out or pointing to it. Full entry
- Spelling
- show → showed: add -ed
- Sound
- The ending sounds like /d/.
Use it in a sentence
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