leading lady

noun

Synonyms of leading ladynext
: an actress who plays the leading female role

Examples of leading lady 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.
What happens when your leading lady goes off the rails? Paula Ebben, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026 Samantha Mathis does solid work playing Princess Daisy (Peach’s second-fiddle in the games, here elevated to leading lady), but the real highlight is stars Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo as Mario and Luigi. Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 3 Apr. 2026 In this week's issue of PEOPLE, the You, Me & Tuscany leading lady opens up about where some of those painful, powerful lyrics stemmed from. Janine Rubenstein, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026 Now, its third and final season finds our favorite leading lady navigating Hollywood’s AI revolution. Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for leading lady

Word History

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of leading lady was in 1860

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Leading lady.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leading%20lady. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

leading lady

noun
: an actress who plays the leading female role in a play or movie

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