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
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.
A plum gig at a Big Three network used to be the only way for a journalist to get the pay and prestige of a superstar.
From Slate • May 6, 2026
He turned into a global superstar on screen, but in reality a career that began at Millwall zigzagged through Plymouth, Wrexham and Scandinavia before injury forced his retirement aged 29.
From BBC • May 5, 2026
And Rihanna is a pop superstar, a beauty mogul and a Met Gala favorite.
From Barron's • May 5, 2026
The 41-year-old superstar played like he had everything to lose during a clinching Game 6 win Friday night in Houston, which is what the Laker needed.
From Los Angeles Times • May 3, 2026
A girl could get used to this superstar treatment.
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja 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.
