superstar
Americannoun
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a person, such as a performer or athlete, who enjoys wide recognition, is esteemed for exceptional talent, and is eagerly sought after for their services.
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any very prominent or successful person or thing.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of superstar
Explanation
A superstar is someone who's either very famous or extremely good at what they do. Legendary baseball player Babe Ruth was the first person called a superstar in print, around 1920. You might think of a superstar as a popular musician, like Taylor Swift, or maybe a famous actor or well-known athlete. It's true, Jackie Chan and LeBron James and Serena Williams all qualify as superstars, but if you're really good at what you do, you're a superstar too. If your brownies are the most delicious your family has ever tasted, you're a superstar baker.
Vocabulary lists containing superstar
Willie Mays (1931–2024) Tribute List
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
With that decision could have come the career no superstar player wants - one that does not involve playing at a World Cup.
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026
In her third season in the WNBA, the once-shining superstar is acting like a spoiled brat.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2026
"Despite Haaland's global superstar status, he remains the exact same guy," Norwegian football journalist Andreas Korssund told BBC Sport.
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026
Beyond the utilities, there are also foreign equivalents of U.S. superstar stocks making electrification physically possible.
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
“I need to talk to the superstar in private. Y’all gotta go.”
From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
