costar

1 of 2

noun

co·​star ˈkō-ˌstär 

variants or co-star

plural costars or co-stars

: one of two or more main performers who star in a movie, play, etc.

… the star seems more relaxed and confident, and there's a bracing snap to the byplay between him and his costars.

—Mark Harris

costar

2 of 2

verb

variants or co-star

costarred or co-starred; costarring or co-starring

1

transitive : to employ or present (someone) as one of two or more leading performers in a movie, play, etc.

Directed by Lasse Hallström … and costarring a fine ensemble …

—Leonora Langley

2

intransitive : to appear with another star in a movie, play, etc.

Examples of costar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Liu is a big proponent of doing his own stunts, which is something his Copenhagen Test costar Melissa Barrera found impressive and intimidating. —Patrick Gomez, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Nov. 2025

Powell, 37, costars with Margaret Qualley, Ed Harris, Zach Woods, Jessica Henwick, Topher Grace, Raff Law (Jude Law's son) Bill Camp, and Sean Cameron Michael in the film. —Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 25 Nov. 2025

Verb

The film costars Woody Harrelson, Jack Lowden and Ayo Edebiri. —Tara Larson, Footwear News, 25 Nov. 2025

Adding a touch of nostalgia, the play also reunited Lange with his Love Boat costars Fred Grandy and Jill Whelan. —Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 23 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1888, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1896, in the meaning defined at sense 2