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Synonyms

leading lady

American  
[lee-ding] / ˈli dɪŋ /

noun

  1. an actress who plays the principal female role in a motion picture or play.

Etymology

Origin of leading lady

First recorded in 1870–75

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.

But it also leaves one realizing that “A Private Life,” despite the commanding leading lady holding its center, is a bit mixed up by design.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 16, 2026

They are handed an envelope from Santa containing a letter from a viewer asking how he can show his "leading lady" he loves her through food.

From BBC • Dec. 3, 2025

Crawford’s rise from chorus line to leading lady was driven by the actress’s commitment to her movie-star dreams.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

At 19, she was a Broadway leading lady in "Next to Normal."

From Salon • Apr. 17, 2025

We’ll take the leading lady first, who, I believe, would prefer to be briefly described as a languid, sophisticated type.

From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger

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.