drag queen

American  

[drag kween] / ˈdræg ˌkwin /

noun

Slang.

drag queens plural

1. a performer, typically one who was assigned male at birth, whose act involves a stylized and exaggerated interpretation of femininity that plays with stereotypical gender themes.

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drag queen British  

noun

1. a male who dresses as a woman and impersonates female characteristics for public entertainment

2. slang a male transvestite

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drag queen Idioms  

1. A male transvestite; also, a female impersonator. For example, He was surprised to find out that Roxanne was actually a drag queen. This term uses the slang noun drag in the sense of “female attire worn by a man” (a usage dating from about 1870; also see in drag). [Offensive slang; c. 1940]

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• drag queens
  plural

Etymology

Origin of drag queen

First recorded in 1960–65; drag (in the sense “wearing clothes characteristic with a different sex”) + queen (in the sense “flamboyantly effeminate gay man”)

Compare meaning

How does drag-queen compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• drag queen vs. transvestite

Example Sentences

In Seattle's Ballard district, a drag queen was wielding a microphone and putting on a show ahead of the World Cup meeting of Iran and Egypt.

From Barron's • Jun. 27, 2026

A drag queen friend introduced him to the multihyphenate artist Manu Mojito, who took him to the Red Comunitaria Trans in the Barrio Santa Fe.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

The turn came in 2014, with the highly publicised victory of Austrian bearded drag queen Conchita Wurst, Jordan added.

From Barron's • May 16, 2026

“The way that conservatives were talking about it, I thought it was going to be drag queen story hour. At one point we were the Trolls,” Fuentes said on his show Tuesday.

From Salon • Feb. 11, 2026

But as it happened, Lexie and Trip were so involved in a spirited argument over which guest had better hair, the drag queen or his embittered ex-wife, that no one heard the commercials.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng

Related Words

• bio queen
• drag artist