What does shew mean?
Shew is an old-fashioned English verb meaning to show, display, or make known. In modern use it is mainly literary or archaic, appearing in formal narratives, historical writing, and passages styled after older English or the King James Bible. Its meaning is much the same as that of the standard verb show: a person may shew an object to someone, shew the way, or shew that something is true. The older spelling can make an otherwise simple statement sound ceremonial, traditional, or solemn. Although shew survives in phrases such as “shew mercy” and “shew favour,” it is not normally used in everyday contemporary speech. It belongs to a small group of variant spellings that preserve the older form of a familiar word and offer writers a way to evoke an earlier literary register.
verbTo show or display; to make something visible, apparent, or known.
- To display or make visible.
- To make known, indicate, or demonstrate.
"The old manuscript shewed a route through the mountains."
"The keeper shewed us the collection of old maps."
"The evidence shewed that the account had been carefully prepared."
Shew is “show” in period dress: an old-fashioned spelling that lends a distinctly literary or biblical tone to familiar ideas.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does shew come from?
Shew is an older English spelling of show, with both forms continuing a Middle English lineage associated with seeing, displaying, and making something visible. The words derive ultimately from Old English roots connected with looking, observing, and revealing what is otherwise hidden. Show became the dominant modern spelling, while shew survived chiefly in archaic, literary, and biblical-style usage.
Related word forms
How shew is actually used
Shew is now archaic or literary in standard English. It is most familiar from older writing and biblical-style language, where it can sound formal, elevated, or deliberately traditional.
Easily confused with shew
Show is the standard modern spelling, while shew is an archaic variant with essentially the same meanings.
Shoe means footwear and is pronounced differently; shew is a verb meaning to display or make known.