King Lear

American

[leer] / lɪər /

noun

a tragedy (1606) by Shakespeare.

King Lear Cultural

A tragedy by William Shakespeare about an old king who unwisely hands his kingdom over to two of his daughters. The daughters, who had flattered Lear while he was in power, turn on him; their actions reduce him to poverty and eventually to madness. His youngest daughter, Cordelia, whom he had at first spurned, remains faithful to him.

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.

Pope Francis, Prince Phillip, King Lear - only some of the iconic figures actor Sir Jonathan Pryce has played on-screen and on-stage during career spanning more than 50 years.

From BBC • Jan. 29, 2026

King Lear mournfully wonders, “Is there any cause in nature that makes these hard hearts?”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 17, 2026

Young Hamlet, the prince of Denmark, is burdened with self-reproach, while old King Lear suffers from narcissism, vanity and madness.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026

The actor also played the doomed warlord who divides his kingdom between his sons in "Ran", Kurosawa's 1985 film based on the Shakespeare play "King Lear".

From Barron's • Nov. 11, 2025

Whisk, the cathedrals; whisk, whisk, King Lear and the Thoughts of Pascal.

From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023