leading man

noun

: an actor who plays the leading male role

Examples of leading man in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That path from leading man to auteur is a familiar one in Hollywood, with notables like Warren Beatty, Clint Eastwood and Kevin Costner establishing themselves as major directors without stepping away from leading in their own films. — Clayton Davis, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026

The romantic comedy Sweet Home Alabama (2002), opposite Reese Witherspoon, restored his standing as a leading man in film. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2026

The one-two punch of Fatal Attraction and Wall Street during the same year transformed me from leading man to superstar. — Michael Douglas, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026

What followed was a filmography crammed with all the great leading men of her time. — Vogue, 7 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1827, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for leading man

• businessman
• canavan
• caravan
• constantan
• dragoman
• fisherman
• handyman
• harmattan
• journeyman
• marianne
• middleman
• minivan

Kids Definition

leading man

noun

: an actor who plays the leading male role in a play or movie