drag king

noun

plural drag kings
: a person and especially a woman who dresses as a man and performs as an entertainer in male drag (see drag entry 3 sense 2a)
Likewise, drag kings, who are traditionally females, dress as stereotypically masculine characters.—Lauren Wavra
While traditionally drag kings involved women stepping into the roles—and clothes—of their male counterparts, today it's not that simple.—David Friend
… blind, non-binary drag king Tito Bone showcases their signature skills of song, dance and audio description.—Impact News Service (London)

Examples of drag king 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.
Jess created a new drag king alter ego named Droll Hollywood. — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025 That one includes a dance contest, dog fashion show, drag king bingo, live DJ and performances, food trucks and pop-up bars, as well as a weird craft fair, its creators promised. — John Wenzel, Denver Post, 2 Oct. 2025 Both perform as drag kings, Wasil under the name Chevy Lace and Hollister as Hugh Mann Race. — Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 1 June 2026 The 12 new competitors have a diversity of jobs from scientist to amateur drag king and range in age from 23 to 59. — Madeleine Janz, People.com, 29 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for drag king

Word History

First Known Use

1969, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of drag king was in 1969

Rhymes for drag king

See All Rhymes for drag king

Browse Nearby Words

drag kicking and screaming
drag king
dragline
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Drag king.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drag%20king. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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