DictionaryAI

star

STAHR/stɑɹ/STAH/stɑː(ɹ)/

Pluralstars

Verbstars, starring, starred

20 meanings of star

Practice

  1. 1
    light in skynouncountable
    A huge, distant ball of very hot gas, like the sun, seen at night as a small, bright point of light in the sky.

    A single star glimmered low on the horizon at dusk.

    To the naked eye, a bright planet can look just like any other star.

    Note

    Ordinary speech has always counted bright planets among the stars. The habit of leaving them out comes from the astronomer's narrower definition, so calling a planet a star is loose rather than wrong.

    Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

    • The traditional ordinary sense includes planets; exclusion of planets reflects the narrower astronomical sense. en.wiktionary.org
  2. 2
    celebritynouncountable
    An exceptionally talented or famous person, especially in a particular field; a celebrity.

    The young striker quickly became a star of the national team.

    Pop stars often travel with large security teams.

    UsageOften before another noun, meaning the best of the group: star pupil, star player. Also pop star, film star.

    Similarcelebrity, idol, icon, luminary, superstar

    Oppositenobody, unknown

    Note

    The 1926 novel made from Mary Roberts Rinehart and Avery Hopwood's play The Bat lists the star reporter above the leg-man and the cub. A star pupil need not be famous at all, only outstanding.

    Checked 3 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

    • The novelization of The Bat was published in 1926. en.wikipedia.org
    • The novel was adapted from the play The Bat by Mary Roberts Rinehart and Avery Hopwood. en.wikisource.org
    • The novel lists the star reporter before the leg-man and the cub. en.wikisource.org
  3. 3
    have as leadverbtransitive
    To play the leading role in a film, play, or show, or (of a film or show) to have someone in the leading role.

    The film stars an Oscar-winning actress in the title role.

    Action movies often star athletes who later become household names.

    UsageThe film stars the actor; the actor stars in the film. Often as + the role: stars Flockhart as a lawyer.

    Similarfeature, headline

    Note

    Here the grammar turns around: the production or its maker is the subject, and the performer is the object. The show stars Calista Flockhart, and in David W. Menefee's The First Female Stars (2004), Mr. Fox will "star her" in Romeo and Juliet.

    Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

    • David W. Menefee wrote The First Female Stars, first published in 2004. bloomsbury.com
    • The cited passage describes Mr. Fox planning to star a performer in Romeo and Juliet and contains the exact words “star her.” en.wiktionary.org
    • The Flockhart example appears in the source with the role described as a high-powered lawyer. en.wiktionary.org
  4. 4
    quality ratingnouncountable
    A symbol used to rate things such as hotels and films, where a higher number of stars denotes better quality.

    Reviewers gave the restaurant a single star for its poor service.

    Each additional star on the label signals higher energy efficiency.

    UsageUse a hyphen in a four-star review or a five-star hotel. When counting rating symbols, write separate words: it got four stars.

  5. 5
    nouncountable
    An actor who plays a leading role in a film, play, or television program.

    She landed her first job as the star of a major film.

    The two stars shared top billing throughout the production.

    UsageThe star of a film or play; the actor stars in it.

    Similarlead, headliner, principal

    Note

    The theatrical star is defined by the part, not by fame. Whoever plays the lead is the star of that production, however unknown they are. That separates it from the celebrity sense, where renown is the point. The verbs grow from this sense: a performer stars in a film by taking this role, and a production stars whoever takes it.

  6. 6
    pointed shapenouncountable
    A concave polygon with regular, pointed tips and inward notches around its edge, usually having four, five, or six points.

    The center block of the quilt is a large star whose five points alternate red and blue.

    To find the area of the six-pointed star, the class split it into a hexagon and six small triangles.

    UsageUsually named by its points: a five-pointed star, a six-pointed star.

    Note

    Geometry counts this figure as concave because each notch between two tips turns inward, so a straight line joining neighboring tips runs outside the shape. Where the open shape of streaks has only rays, this figure closes them into a single boundary.

    Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts

    • The specified outline is a concave polygon with inward notches between its tips. en.wiktionary.org
    • For this regularly notched outline, the segment joining neighboring tips passes outside the polygon across the intervening notch. en.wikipedia.org
    • The polygonal figure has a closed boundary. en.wikipedia.org
  7. 7
    nouncountable
    The element or character in a group, dish, work or event that stands out most or draws the most attention.

    Roasted garlic is the undisputed star of this soup.

    For many visitors, the giant blue whale skeleton is the star of the museum's new hall.

    UsageSet phrase: the star of the show. Often stronger with real or undisputed: the undisputed star of this soup.

    Similarhighlight, centerpiece, standout

    Note

    Like the leading actor, the star takes top billing, and the word now crowns things as easily as people: the star of a soup, a collection or a match.

  8. 8
    written symbolnouncountable
    An asterisk (*) or comparable symbol such as ★, inspired by the shape of a celestial star.

    She typed a star to flag the footnote at the bottom of the page.

    Each correction was marked with a small star in the margin.

    UsageAsterisk is the precise name for the keyboard mark; star is the everyday word.

    Similarasterisk

    Note

    In printing the name describes a shape: a few streaks meeting at one point, the way a star looks when the eye blurs it. The plain asterisk and its decorative relatives, such as ★ or ✦, all go by it. Star is the everyday name, and it covers filled and outlined forms alike.

    Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of star apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

From Middle English "sterre," from Old English "steorra" ("star"), going back through Proto-Germanic to the Proto-Indo-European root "*h₂stḗr" ("star"). It is a doublet of "aster" and is related to German "Stern," Dutch "ster," Latin "stēlla," and Ancient Greek "astḗr," among many others.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 5 facts

  • Star comes from Middle English sterre, from Old English steorra, meaning star. en.wiktionary.org
  • The ancestry passes through Proto-Germanic to Proto-Indo-European *h₂stḗr. en.wiktionary.org
  • Proto-Indo-European *h₂stḗr means star. en.wikipedia.org
  • Star and aster are doublets. en.wiktionary.org
  • Star is related to German Stern, Dutch ster, Latin stēlla, Ancient Greek astḗr, and numerous other words. en.wiktionary.org