parade
parade — noun
1. an event where many people walk down a street together — often with bands, costu
an event where many people walk down a street together — often with bands, costumes, or decorated trucks — to celebrate a holiday, a victory, or some other special occasion.
Marcus and his sister watched the New Year parade from the bridge.
watch a parade — typical event collocation
The town holds a parade every June to mark its founding day.
hold a parade + purpose phrase
Drummers and dancers led the parade through the main square.
lead the parade — performers in front
Children waved flags as the parade passed their school gates.
the parade passed [place] — motion along a route
A huge parade was held in Taipei after the team won the championship.
passive: a parade was held
- military parade
- victory parade
- Pride parade
- parade route
- parade float
- procession
more formal; often religious or funerary
- march
stresses walking in step, can also be a protest
- carnival
wider event with rides and food, not just walking
Grammar Patterns
a parade of [noun]
watch/hold/lead a parade
Usage Note
Subject of 'hold' or 'organize' is usually a city, school, or community group; the route is named with 'down', 'through', or 'along' the street.
Common Mistakes
2. a long line of people, things, or events that arrive or pass by one after anothe
a long line of people, things, or events that arrive or pass by one after another, often used when there are so many that they almost feel like a show.
The new manager faced a parade of complaints from angry customers.
a parade of [plural noun] — figurative succession
Lina watched a parade of taxis crawl past her hotel window.
a parade of [vehicles] — slow steady stream
The talk show featured a parade of celebrities all wearing black.
feature a parade of — TV/event context
Every spring a parade of bright tulips opens along the garden path.
a parade of [flowers] — natural succession
- a parade of guests
- a parade of complaints
- a parade of cars
- a parade of stars
- stream
emphasises continuous flow rather than a line
- succession
more formal; one-after-another sequence
- string
informal; often used for a series of events
Grammar Patterns
a parade of + plural noun
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 1: this sense has no marching or celebration; it just stresses that one item follows another in a long, often repetitive line.
3. a formal lining-up of soldiers who march or stand still in straight rows so that
a formal lining-up of soldiers who march or stand still in straight rows so that senior officers or visiting leaders can inspect them.
The new recruits stood at parade in front of the general for over an hour.
stand at parade — formal military stance
Captain Lee inspected the soldiers on parade outside the barracks.
on parade — inspection collocation
The morning parade was cancelled because of heavy rain at the base.
morning/evening parade — daily routine
Every cadet must polish their boots and rifle before Friday's weekly parade.
before [day]'s parade — preparation routine
- on parade
- morning parade
- passing-out parade
- inspect a parade
Grammar Patterns
on parade
stand at parade
Usage Note
Frequently used with the preposition 'on' ('on parade') to describe the state of being lined up; this is the only sense of the noun that takes that fixed prepositional phrase.
Common Mistakes
4. a short line of small shops standing side by side along one stretch of road, oft
a short line of small shops standing side by side along one stretch of road, often serving the people who live nearby.
There is a small parade of shops opposite Lina's apartment block.
a parade of shops — British residential phrase
The Polish bakery on the parade has sold rye bread to local families since 1962.
on the parade — locating a shop
Marcus rents a flat above the parade, right over the chemist and the chip shop.
above the parade — residential context
Most of the shops on the local parade closed during the recession.
the local parade — neighbourhood scale
- a parade of shops
- the local parade
- shopping parade
- row of shops
plain everyday phrase
- strip mall
American equivalent, usually larger and beside a road
- high street
longer main shopping street, not just a short row
Grammar Patterns
a parade of shops
Usage Note
Mainly British English; American speakers usually say 'strip mall' or 'row of stores'. Smaller and more local than a shopping centre.
5. the word attached to the proper name of certain streets, especially wide ones be
the word attached to the proper name of certain streets, especially wide ones beside a beach, a park, or a river, similar to how 'Avenue' or 'Lane' is used.
Sarah's grandmother lives at number 14 Marine Parade in Brighton.
[Name] Parade — proper noun pattern
Sarah and her cousins met for ice cream at the cafe on Marine Parade, right above the harbour.
[Name] Parade beside water — typical setting
The cafe is just off Queen's Parade, beside the old church.
off [Name] Parade — locating a place
Brighton's Madeira Parade runs along the seafront for nearly a mile.
[City]'s [Name] Parade — naming pattern
- Marine Parade
- Queen's Parade
- Madeira Parade
Grammar Patterns
[Name] Parade
Usage Note
Always capitalised because it is part of a proper name. Often appears in coastal towns or near grand parks; not a meaning you can apply to any random street.
6. a clear, deliberate showing-off of money, skill, or knowledge so that other peop
a clear, deliberate showing-off of money, skill, or knowledge so that other people will be impressed.
The wedding turned into a parade of designer dresses and gold jewellery.
a parade of [luxury items] — wealth display
Marcus disliked his uncle's constant parade of legal knowledge at dinner.
parade of knowledge — showing off expertise
The boardroom became a parade of fancy titles, with each speaker listing degrees before saying anything useful.
a parade of [titles] — critical tone
Even after the lottery win, Lina's grandmother made no parade of her wealth and kept her old car.
make no parade of — restraint/negative
- a parade of wealth
- a parade of virtue
- make a parade of
- display
neutral; can be positive or negative
- show
less formal; may carry the same critical tone
- exhibition
more formal; often refers to art or museum displays
- modesty
deliberate restraint; opposite attitude
Grammar Patterns
a parade of wealth/knowledge/etc.
Usage Note
Often carries a slightly disapproving tone — the speaker thinks the showing-off is excessive or vain. Common with abstract nouns like 'wealth', 'knowledge', 'virtue'.
To spoil someone's fun or stop their plans from working.
Maya's bad news rained on our parade during the party.
Did the rain really rain on your parade at the beach?
parade — verb
1. (of a group of people) to walk in a long line through a public place, usually fo
(of a group of people) to walk in a long line through a public place, usually for a celebration, protest, or military event; also, to make a captured or honoured person walk in such a line.
Thousands of fans paraded through the city after Argentina won the cup.
parade through [city] — celebration motion
The soldiers paraded down Main Street in their dress uniforms.
parade down [street] — military event
Schoolchildren paraded around the playground holding handmade lanterns.
parade around [place] — children's procession
The new champion was paraded through the town on an open bus.
passive: be paraded through — honour/display
- parade through the streets
- parade down the avenue
- parade past the crowd
Grammar Patterns
parade through/down/around [place]
parade somebody through [place]
Usage Note
Almost always followed by a direction word ('through', 'down', 'around', 'past'). The transitive use is common in passive voice when describing prisoners, trophies, or honoured guests being shown to a crowd.
Common Mistakes
2. to make a special point of letting other people see something — your skills, bod
to make a special point of letting other people see something — your skills, body, possessions, or feelings — because you want them to admire it or feel impressed.
Marcus paraded his new sports car up and down the driveway every morning.
parade [object] up and down — repeated showing-off
The young actor paraded around the party in a silver jacket.
parade around in [clothing] — body display
During election season, the mayor paraded his family values on every TV channel and kissed every baby in town.
parade [abstract noun] — public image building
Lina hates the way her cousin parades every award she wins on social media.
parade [achievement] — boasting context
- parade his wealth
- parade around in
- parade her achievements
Grammar Patterns
parade [object] before/in front of somebody
parade around in [clothing]
Usage Note
Often disapproving — the speaker thinks the person is being vain or boastful. Distinguish from sense 1: that sense involves real walking together; this sense is about displaying something for admiration, with or without movement.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- paradernounC2
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
All four words describe groups of people moving along a public route, but the mood and purpose differ. A 'parade' is the broadest celebratory term — bands, costumes, decorated trucks, often a national holiday or sports victory. A 'procession' is more solemn and slower; it suits weddings, funerals, and religious festivals where a clear order matters. A 'march' stresses walking in step and is the right word for soldiers, protesters, or political demonstrations — the focus is on collective purpose, not entertainment. A 'carnival' is bigger than a parade: a whole festival with music, food, and rides, of which a parade may be just one part. So a soldier marches, a priest processes, a band parades, and a town holds a carnival each spring.
Common collocations
Etymology
Parade entered English in the 1600s from French 'parade', which itself came from Spanish 'parada' meaning 'a stop' or 'a halt'. The Spanish word came from the Latin verb 'parare', which meant 'to prepare' or 'to set in order'. The link is the idea of soldiers being told to halt and arrange themselves neatly so that an officer could look them over — that military display sense was the earliest English meaning. The celebratory and 'showing-off' senses grew later from the same image of arranging people or things to be seen.