superstar
Americannoun
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a person, such as a performer or athlete, who enjoys wide recognition, is esteemed for exceptional talent, and is eagerly sought after for their services.
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any very prominent or successful person or thing.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of superstar
Explanation
A superstar is someone who's either very famous or extremely good at what they do. Legendary baseball player Babe Ruth was the first person called a superstar in print, around 1920. You might think of a superstar as a popular musician, like Taylor Swift, or maybe a famous actor or well-known athlete. It's true, Jackie Chan and LeBron James and Serena Williams all qualify as superstars, but if you're really good at what you do, you're a superstar too. If your brownies are the most delicious your family has ever tasted, you're a superstar baker.
Vocabulary lists containing superstar
Willie Mays (1931–2024) Tribute List
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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.
Pace bowlers Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue were sensational to ensure the world champions - including 15-year-old batting superstar Vaibhav Sooryavanshi - never got to grips with a chase of 202.
From BBC • Jul. 7, 2026
He said that Europeans did not show the same outrage at a suspension of a red card in the World Cup qualifiers against Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
From Barron's • Jul. 6, 2026
Nevertheless, Haaland has emerged as the rarest sort of superstar: the one who can single-handedly spark a Cinderella run.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 5, 2026
After months of rumours and speculation, superstar couple Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have finally tied the knot at New York's Madison Square Garden.
From BBC • Jul. 4, 2026
“He’s a superstar, you guys. And I’m just some...some kid from Colorado Springs. I’ve never even directed a real movie before!”
From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon
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.
