vorführen

Meaning (in English)

vorführen has two common meanings:

1. to demonstrate / to present (something)

• e.g. to demonstrate a device, a method, a procedure, or a film clip to an audience.

2. to bring someone before an authority (police/court)

• e.g. to bring a suspect before a judge, or to present someone to the police for identification.

Additionally, in everyday speech it can also mean: 3) to show someone up / to embarrass / to make someone look foolish

• often used when someone is humiliated publicly or “made a spectacle of.”

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Word parts

• vor- = “in front (of), before”
• führen = “to lead, to guide” So vorführen literally suggests “to lead/present in front (of others).”

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German synonyms

For meaning 1 (demonstrate/present):

• demonstrieren
• präsentieren
• zeigen
• vorzeigen (to show, display)
• aufführen (to stage/perform; especially plays, pieces)

For meaning 2 (bring before court/police):

• vor Gericht bringen
• dem Richter vorführen
• abführen (more “to lead away/arrest and take away”)

For meaning 3 (embarrass/show up):

• blamieren
• bloßstellen
• lächerlich machen
• zur Schau stellen (to put on display, sometimes with a negative tone)

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German antonyms (where applicable)

Opposites depend on the meaning:

Against “demonstrate/present”:

• verbergen (to hide)
• verschweigen (to keep quiet about)
• zurückhalten (to withhold)

Against “embarrass/show up”:

• schützen (to protect)
• deck(en) / jemanden in Schutz nehmen (to cover for / defend someone)
• würdigen (to treat with respect, appreciate)

For the legal “bring before an authority” meaning, there is no single clean antonym in everyday usage.