drag queen

noun

plural drag queens
: a person and especially a man who performs as an entertainer in usually female drag (see drag entry 3 sense 2a)
Drag queens, who are traditionally male, dress in "drag" as female characters.Laura Wavra
For the past decade, (basically since RuPaul started Drag Race) traditional drag queens (ie, cis men performing as female characters) have been blowing up in the popular zeitgeist …Brittany Knupper
Drag is not simply female impersonation, but involves drag queens exaggerating femininity and drag kings exaggerating masculinity.Shannon Kelly
[Victoria] Sin is a female-bodied non-binary drag queen, examining how Western ideals of femininity are produced and consumed.Amrou Al-Kadhi
They are a black, non-binary drag queen with a beard in a part of the country that has a reputation for being anti-LGBTQ+.Bailey Shelton

Examples of drag queen 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.
RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Trixie Mattel kicked off the night with a DJ set along with opening performances from drag queens, as Roan does with all of headlining shows. Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2025 In the show’s first season, for instance, drag superstar Trixie Mattel plays a less famous drag queen named Shazam whom Evan brings in to teach the football team about what is and is not appropriate when doing female impersonations for its powder-puff routine. Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025 But she’s known for platforming local drag queens at her shows, too, giving them a stage to perform for massive crowds. Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 5 Oct. 2025 Some watched drag queens perform to music. Michelle Cruz, AZCentral.com, 3 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for drag queen

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1941, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of drag queen was circa 1941

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Cite this Entry

“Drag queen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drag%20queen. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

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