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
David BowieHe's what I always thought rock stars should be: sexy, dangerous, outrageous, and funny. And at least a little self-aware.—Doug Brod
Doug Brod2
: 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
Howard FinemanThe Colchester Boards of Selectmen, Finance and Education are the rock stars of our town's elected government.—Jason Cohen
Jason CohenFor 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
Tom PhilpottPale-faced and bespectacled, the 43-year-old Chudzinski is an emerging rock star in NFL coaching circles.—David G Fleming
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
Ruth ReichlExamples of rock star in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For the special concert, Spencer appeared business-casual, while Kaling went slightly edgier — and, fittingly, more rock star — in a leather jacket almost as long as the coats linked to Hudson’s forever iconic Almost Famous character, Penny Lane.
—Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 19 May 2024
The following year, Kravitz guest starred in the FX series Better Things (2016) as director Mel Trueblood, and later appeared in two episodes of the Fox TV show Star (2016–2017) as rock star Roland Crane.
—Madeline Cisneros, EW.com, 19 May 2024
Tyson, the former heavyweight champion boxer, was training in a rock star's Cottonwood, Arizona, jiu-jitsu gym for his July fight against Paul, a 27-year-old Youtuber.
—Dina Kaur, The Arizona Republic, 17 May 2024
His hell-raising spirit ended up being a blueprint for the character of Russell in Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous, the main rock star portrayed by Billy Crudup.
—Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 17 May 2024
Listen 18:00 Even so, there are few scenarios in which a middle-aged corporate executive can be treated like an aging rock star by thousands of fawning employees.
—Emma Goldberg Sarah Mollo-Christensen Tanya Pérez Sharon Kearney, New York Times, 9 May 2024
She's never heard of Maxwell — who actually isn't a rock star but a Grammy-winning R&B artist who emerged on the burgeoning neo soul scene in the '90s.
—Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 9 May 2024
People seem dubious that a straight rock star can have a close platonic relationship with a gay TV personality.
—Maer Roshan, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 May 2024
Along with its rock star past, the seafront spread was once used as a gathering place for affluent visitors who would arrive from San Francisco by boat, Mansion Global reported, and the dwelling also served at various times as a hotel, a tea house, a bathhouse, and a casino.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 7 May 2024
Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 19 May 2024
The following year, Kravitz guest starred in the FX series Better Things (2016) as director Mel Trueblood, and later appeared in two episodes of the Fox TV show Star (2016–2017) as rock star Roland Crane.
—Madeline Cisneros, EW.com, 19 May 2024
Tyson, the former heavyweight champion boxer, was training in a rock star's Cottonwood, Arizona, jiu-jitsu gym for his July fight against Paul, a 27-year-old Youtuber.
—Dina Kaur, The Arizona Republic, 17 May 2024
His hell-raising spirit ended up being a blueprint for the character of Russell in Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous, the main rock star portrayed by Billy Crudup.
—Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 17 May 2024
Listen 18:00 Even so, there are few scenarios in which a middle-aged corporate executive can be treated like an aging rock star by thousands of fawning employees.
—Emma Goldberg Sarah Mollo-Christensen Tanya Pérez Sharon Kearney, New York Times, 9 May 2024
She's never heard of Maxwell — who actually isn't a rock star but a Grammy-winning R&B artist who emerged on the burgeoning neo soul scene in the '90s.
—Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 9 May 2024
People seem dubious that a straight rock star can have a close platonic relationship with a gay TV personality.
—Maer Roshan, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 May 2024
Along with its rock star past, the seafront spread was once used as a gathering place for affluent visitors who would arrive from San Francisco by boat, Mansion Global reported, and the dwelling also served at various times as a hotel, a tea house, a bathhouse, and a casino.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 7 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rock star.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near rock star
Cite this Entry
“Rock star.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rock%20star. Accessed 23 May. 2024.
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