leading man
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of leading man
First recorded in 1695–1705
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.
Matt James, the leading man on Season 25 of “The Bachelor,” ambled around with his mother in a T-shirt that read, “Raw Milk Club.”
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
The film’s greatest mystery may be how an actress as gifted as Tanaka failed to motivate a leading man as naturally charismatic as Nakadai.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 4, 2026
Playing in his record-tying 19th postseason, James will be the leading man against the Rockets after injuries to guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2026
More character actor than leading man, he could be relied upon to inject a feisty, fiery machismo and a cantankerous contrariness into the most mainstream Hollywood offering.
From BBC ● Feb. 16, 2026
She was in love with Harold Clarence, the leading man.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
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.
