Macbeth

American  

[muhk-beth, mak-] / məkˈbɛθ, mæk- /

noun

1. died 1057, king of Scotland 1040–57.

2. (italics) a tragedy (1606?) by Shakespeare.

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Macbeth British  

/ mæk-, məkˈbɛθ /

noun

1. died 1057, king of Scotland (1040–57): succeeded Duncan, whom he killed in battle; defeated and killed by Duncan's son Malcolm III

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Macbeth Cultural  

1. A tragedy by William Shakespeare, in which the Scottish nobleman Macbeth, misled by the prophecy of three witches and goaded on by his wife, murders the king and usurps the throne. Well-known lines from the play include “Lay on, Macduff” and “Out, damned spot!”

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Example Sentences

The most prominent American actor of the time, Edwin Forrest, and the British star William Charles Macready, were both playing Macbeth in New York at roughly the same time.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

Placing herself in harm’s way numerous times throughout Season 2, Wednesday even lands herself in a coma at one point, and while she’s out, Morticia sits at her bedside and reads from Macbeth.

From Salon • Sep. 6, 2025

Actress Esmé Church was born in 1893 in London and joined the Old Vic Company in 1927, where she performed major Shakespearean roles including Lady Macbeth and Hamlet's mother Gertrude.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2025

Jumbo brings a humanizing clarity to Lady Macbeth without in the least compromising her character’s fiendish side.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2025

We’ve watched Macbeth change from a noble, trusted, dedicated soldier, willing to sacrifice his life for king and country, to a wretched, depraved, corrupt murderer who no longer has feelings of guilt or morality.

From "Tears of a Tiger" by Sharon M. Draper