spectacle
2 synonyms for spectacle, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A striking or unusual scene, show or performance.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Etymology
Spectacle came into English from Middle English spectacle, borrowed from Middle French spectacle, which goes back to Latin spectāculum ("a show, spectacle"). That in turn derives from spectō ("to see, behold"), a frequentative of speciō ("to see") — see species. It is a doublet of spectaculum.
Full origin of spectacle →