drag queen

American  

[drag kween] / ˈdræg ˌkwin /

noun

Slang.

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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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

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

Shahniani doesn’t perform as a drag queen, but he enjoys dressing up as ’Naynay for different events and theme park visits.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 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

Northern Ireland drag queen Elle Vosque has taken second place in the series seven final of Ru Paul's Drag Race UK.

From BBC • Nov. 27, 2025

“Oh, me too. I think that’s my favorite hair. A drag queen out in Odessa styled that wig for me. Took him a week to get it just right.”

From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy

Related Words

• bio queen
• drag artist