starring

American  

[stahr-ing] / ˈstɑr ɪŋ /

adjective

1. featured or celebrated as a star in a movie, on a sports team, etc..

   He was already the starring quarterback on his high school football team, which was on its way to a state championship.

2. (of a character or role) leading, central, or primary.

   The earliest performance I can remember is when I played the starring role in a drama called The Littlest Angel at church.

   As the town’s largest employer, the university also plays a starring role in the local economy.

3. featuring a specified performer.

   They didn't give a beginner a starring movie when I started acting 18 years ago.

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Etymology

Origin of starring

star ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

A new revival of “Death of a Salesman,” starring Nathan Lane and Laurie Metcalf, is in previews on Broadway.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

Pulitzer winner Stephen Adly Guirgis adapts the classic Sidney Lumet film about a Brooklyn bank heist in a production starring Jon Bernthal and Ebon Moss-Bachrach.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

The story of the sinking later became an Oscar-winning film starring Leonardo Di Caprio and Kate Winslet.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

It is adapted from a novel by Andy Weir, the author behind the 2015 hit "The Martian" starring Matt Damon.

From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026

He squeezes my hand tighter, and we all continue to watch this family, fascinated, like they’re actors starring in a movie.

From "Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun" by Hena Khan