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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Bell portrayed the title character, a television actress who begins dating a rock star (played by Russell Brand) in the wake of her split from composer Peter Bretter (Segel). Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025 Province, for example, has attended the camp a half-dozen times, each program with a different rock star. Jim Clash, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025 Tom the homeless guy was actually Tom Starr, the rock star. Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 14 Sep. 2025 Oscar Isaac‘s Victor Frankenstein is part 18th-century dandy and part swaggering Swinging Sixties rock star, as if Lord Byron had been genetically spliced with Brian Jones. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2025 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 21 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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