rock star

noun

plural rock stars
1
: a famous rock musician
From my standpoint, from '72 to '76, I was the ultimate rock star. I couldn't have been more of a rock star. Anything that had to do with being a rock 'n' roll singer was what I was going for.David Bowie
He's what I always thought rock stars should be: sexy, dangerous, outrageous, and funny. And at least a little self-aware.Doug Brod
2
: a highly accomplished and well-regarded person in a particular field
Locals came streaming across a muddy construction site on the Cooper River to catch a glimpse of the rock star of politics.Howard Fineman
The Colchester Boards of Selectmen, Finance and Education are the rock stars of our town's elected government.Jason Cohen
For the agency, whose mission is building soil health, Brandt [David Brandt, farmer] has emerged as a kind of rock star. He's a "step ahead of the game."Tom Philpott
Pale-faced and bespectacled, the 43-year-old Chudzinski is an emerging rock star in NFL coaching circles.David G Fleming
… the day of the celebrity chef is seriously upon us. Chefs have become the rock stars of their generation, and we all long to know them better.Ruth Reichl

Examples of rock star in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The two of them were like rock stars at the parish grade school. Joe Holden, CBS News, 30 June 2026 So by any measure, most of us in this country – especially rock stars like me – are very lucky. Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2026 Many of the costumes directly imagine a world where a rock star can feel less burdened by the concept of appearing palatable — or passing for straight — to sell mainstream records. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 7 July 2026 Onstage, Shakira unleashed her inner rock star during the song, working the stage and the mic stand in a purple corset and matching fringe pants and whipping her lengthy curls like a weapon. Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for rock star

Word History

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rock star was in 1960

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Cite this Entry

“Rock star.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rock%20star. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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