show up

arrive at a place or event

B1

What does "show up" mean?

To show up means to arrive at a place where you are expected or invited — like a party, a meeting, a job interview, or a class. It focuses on the simple act of arriving and being present. One of the most useful things about this phrase is that it often carries the idea of expectation: if you say someone didn't show up, it usually means they were supposed to be there. Because of this, it is especially common in negative sentences to express disappointment or frustration. It is a very everyday expression used in conversation, text messages, and casual emails, though in formal writing it is better to use words like 'arrive' or 'attend' instead.

Examples

How to use it

subject + show up

This is the core pattern — 'show up' in this sense is intransitive, meaning it never takes a direct object. The person or group arriving is always the subject.

Only a few people showed up, so we cancelled the event.

show up + at/for + place or event

Use 'at' for locations and 'for' for events or appointments to say where someone arrived.

She showed up at the office two hours late without any explanation.

show up + adverb (late/early/on time/unexpectedly)

Adverbs that describe the manner or timing of arrival collocate very naturally with this phrasal verb.

He showed up unexpectedly right in the middle of our team lunch.

not/never + show up

Negative forms are extremely common with this verb, often expressing disappointment that someone failed to appear.

We waited for over an hour, but she never showed up.

question form: did + subject + show up / who + showed up

Question forms are very natural and common, especially when asking about attendance at an event.

Did anyone show up to the open day, or was it a waste of time?

Common Collocations

show up at the partyshow up for the interviewshow up on timeshow up lateshow up uninvitedshow up at work

Common Mistakes

Adding an object

In this sense, 'show up' is intransitive — it never takes a direct object. If you add a person or thing as an object, it sounds wrong or changes the meaning entirely.

✗ He showed up the meeting.
✓ He showed up at the meeting.
Confusing 'show up' with 'turn up'

'Turn up' is very similar but tends to suggest more surprise or unexpectedness. 'Show up' is neutral — it works whether or not the arrival was a surprise — so the two are not always interchangeable.

Usage

Very common in informal and spoken English; in formal writing, prefer 'arrive' or 'attend'. It often implies someone was expected, so negatives like 'he didn't show up' carry a sense of disappointment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'show up' always mean someone was expected to be there?

Not always, but there is often a slight sense of expectation. When you say 'he didn't show up,' it strongly suggests he was supposed to be there. However, you can also use 'show up' for unexpected arrivals by adding words like 'uninvited' or 'out of nowhere' — for example, 'She just showed up at my door.'

Can 'show up' be used in the passive, like 'the party was shown up at'?

No — this is not possible. Because 'show up' in this sense has no object, it cannot be made passive. The person who arrives is always the subject of the sentence.

Is 'show up' okay to use in a work email or a formal situation?

It is fine in casual work emails or everyday conversation with colleagues. However, in formal or professional writing — like a business report or an official letter — it is better to use 'attend,' 'arrive,' or 'appear' instead.

Does 'show up' have more than one meaning?

Yes. There is a separate meaning where 'show up' takes an object and means to embarrass or outperform someone — for example, 'She showed him up in front of the whole team.' That is a completely different sense. The meaning covered here is simply about arriving somewhere.

Related Phrasal Verbs

turn up

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