actress

noun

Definition of actressnext
as in actor
a woman or girl who acts in a play, movie, etc. The versatile actress can seemingly play any role. The actresses in the musical vastly outperformed their male counterparts.

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of actress Emma is played by different actresses over the course of the series (Jessica Reynolds, Brenda Blethyn) alongside a cast of talented co-stars. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026 Eva Marie Saint Academy Award-winning actress Eva Marie Saint shares her birthday with Independence Day. — Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 4 July 2026 The comedian and actress trolled the happy couple with several Instagram posts, including a spoof outfit for Thursday night’s rehearsal dinner and a still from her TV series Life & Beth. — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 3 July 2026 Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Hilarie Burton Morgan's Walking Dead costar Norman Reedus and Supernatural's Jensen Ackles officiated their costar's wedding to One Tree Hill actress Hilarie Burton. — Grace Gavilanes, PEOPLE, 4 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for actress
Recent Examples of Synonyms for actress
  1. actor
  2. performer
  3. entertainer
  4. player
Noun
  • Smollett was accused of staging a hate crime — which was originally reported as a racist and homophobic crime against the Empire actor— in Chicago in February 2019.
    — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 1 July 2026
  • Travis Kelce's brother, Jason Kelce, and his wife, Kylie Kelce, are expected to attend, as are fellow NFL star George Kittle and actor-singer Suki Waterhouse.
    — Charlie Carballo, USA Today, 1 July 2026
Definition of actor
Noun
  • The performer and brother of pop star Ariana Grande was a shoo-in for the parts, having played them as far back as 2018.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026
  • The data can be used for special effects work or as a reference for a video game artist creating a character around a performer.
    — Joy Press, Vanity Fair, 6 July 2026
Definition of performer
Noun
  • Instead, Hargitay learned at age 30 that her bio-dad was Italian entertainer Nelson Sardelli — Giovanna Sardelli’s father — with whom Mansfield had a brief relationship while separated from Mickey Hargitay in the early 1960s.
    — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 6 July 2026
  • There’s a difference between being an entertainer and an artist.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 6 July 2026
Definition of entertainer
Noun
  • While veterans jockey for new contracts during free agency, young players are getting their tryout opportunities with NBA summer league games beginning this week.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
  • The coach also praised his players for keeping their emotions in check after the red card and other decisions by the officiating crew.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026
Definition of player

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Cite this Entry

“Actress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/actress. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on actress

Nglish: Translation of actress for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about actress

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