leading man

noun

: an actor who plays the leading male role

Examples of leading man in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Between the huge practical sets and stunts, the matte paintings and in-camera trickery, the on-location filming, and a leading man at the height of his movie star powers, Spielberg and his team performed the filmmaking equivalent of wizardry. — Frank Deruggiero, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026

The casting unites one of Korea’s most recognizable leading men with a prominent Japanese star, signaling the show’s deliberate cross-cultural pitch. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026

His transition from television star to major movie leading man gained momentum at Venice when Steven Soderbergh’s Out of Sight screened at the festival in 1998, marking Clooney’s first appearance on the Lido. — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026

However, one of its on-the-rise leading men, Connor Storrie, is nominated for guest-hosting a February episode of Saturday Night Live—a category presented at the untelevised Creative Arts Emmys across September 5 and 6 in Los Angeles. — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 1 Sep. 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