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.
Bowie, a genre- and gender-bending icon of pop music, and one of biggest rock stars in history, died in 2016, aged 69. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2026 Joining Pattinson in the movie is an unlikely team of actors, including onetime NBC head Jeff Zucker, former child star Jonathan Lipnicki, The Office‘s Creed Bratton, and indie-rock star Phoebe Bridgers, in her first acting role. — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 25 Oct. 2026 Those are just two of the many fun facts the sardonic rock star shared in his chat with Dimoldenberg, which also spanned Oasis’ massive stadium tour in 2025 and the band’s plans to embark on another trek next year. — Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 23 Oct. 2026 Not just a rock star but an entire galaxy unto himself, Bowie became a singular force in glam rock, electronic and ambient sounds, dance pop, art rock, and gender-bending fashion. — Eleni N. Gage, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 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 28 Oct. 2026.

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