1.
spectacle, show, sideshow, exhibition
A public show or display put on for entertainment, historically referring to carnival sideshows, street performances, and curiosity exhibitions. Can also mean making a spectacle of someone or something in a negative sense.
見世物じゃないぞ。
I'm not a spectacle to be stared at.
祭りには様々な見世物が並んでいた。
Various sideshows were lined up at the festival.
人の失敗を見世物にするのはよくない。
It's not right to make a spectacle of someone's failures.
USAGE:
見世物 originally referred to popular entertainment shows during the Edo period, including acrobatics, exotic animals, and curiosity exhibitions. In modern usage, it often carries a negative connotation when used about people — implying that someone is being treated as an object of curiosity or entertainment against their will.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 見世物にする: to make a spectacle of
- 見世物小屋: sideshow tent/booth
- 見世物になる: to become a spectacle