show someone the door

verb

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see show, someone, the, door.

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Meanings

verbshow someone the door (third-person singular simple present shows someone the door, present participle showing someone the door, simple past showed someone the door, past participle shown someone the door or (US also) showed someone the door)

present singular third person shows someone the door · participle present showing someone the door · past showed someone the door · participle past shown someone the door · US also participle past showed someone the door · alternative show someone to the door

  1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see show, someone, the, door.
  2. idiomaticTo escort someone to the exit of the premises; to expel someone from a room, gathering, etc.

    "[N]o man shall laugh at me now that I'm down. Show him the door, Dig."

    1913, Jeffrey Farnol, chapter 29, in The Amateur Gentleman
  3. broadlyespeciallyidiomaticTo dismiss, fire, or reject; to exclude someone who was formerly included.

    The medical profession, by its drift toward specialization, is handing the family doctor his hat and showing him the door.

    1939 April 3, “Here's Your Hat!”, in Time
    1 more example

    In Maryland, Rep. Connie Morella, a skillful, conscientious politician, was ousted. . . . The always-charming Morella . . . provided great constituent service. . . . Still, voters showed her the door.

    2008 November 9, Bruce DePuyt, “Sweeping the Red Out of Our Region”, in Washington Post, retrieved 24 Aug 2009, page B08

Translations

Finnish näyttää ovea, heittää ulos
  • näyttää oveato escort someone to the exit of the premises; to expel someone from a room, gathering
  • heittää ulosto escort someone to the exit of the premises; to expel someone from a room, gathering
  • näyttää oveato dismiss, fire, or reject; to exclude someone who was formerly included
Hungarian ajtót mutat
  • ajtót mutatto escort someone to the exit of the premises; to expel someone from a room, gathering
Polish pokazać drzwi, wypraszać
  • pokazać drzwito escort someone to the exit of the premises; to expel someone from a room, gathering
  • wypraszaćto escort someone to the exit of the premises; to expel someone from a room, gathering
  • wyprosićto escort someone to the exit of the premises; to expel someone from a room, gathering
  • pokazać drzwito dismiss, fire, or reject; to exclude someone who was formerly included
Russian указа́ть на дверь, выгоня́ть
  • указа́ть на дверь (ukazátʹ na dverʹ)to escort someone to the exit of the premises; to expel someone from a room, gathering
  • выгоня́ть (vygonjátʹ)to escort someone to the exit of the premises; to expel someone from a room, gathering
  • вы́гнать (výgnatʹ)to escort someone to the exit of the premises; to expel someone from a room, gathering
Cite this entry
APA

show someone the door. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/show%20someone%20the%20door

MLA

“show someone the door.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/show%20someone%20the%20door. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “show someone the door,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/show%20someone%20the%20door.

Source: show someone the door on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.