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

DiCaprio also previously expressed interest in portraying John Dillinger, the role that eventually went to his What's Eating Gilbert Grape costar Johnny Depp, in an adaptation of Public Enemies that Mann ultimately directed in 2009. —Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Oct. 2025

Many celebrities have found love on set with their costars, particularly when being a couple is part of the script. —Sophie Dodd, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025

Verb

At the ceremony, Drescher was supported by her The Nanny costars Nicholle Tom, who played Margaret 'Maggie' Sheffield, and Madeline Zima, who played Gracie Sheffield. —Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025

He'll next be seen playing another real-life figure, Sam Bankman-Fried, on Netflix's The Altruists, which costars Julia Garner as Bankman-Fried's business partner Caroline Ellison. —Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1888, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1896, in the meaning defined at sense 2