matador

noun

mat·​a·​dor ˈma-tə-ˌdȯr 

: a bullfighter who has the principal role and who kills the bull in a bullfight

Examples of matador in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

At the party, de la Huerta danced while brandishing the gown’s frilly skirt like a matador’s cape. —Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2026

Backed by a mariachi ensemble — featuring trumpets, violins, guitarrón, and vihuela — the singer, dressed in a classic matador suit in the song’s music video, strums a nylon guitar in a scene straight out of a dream. —Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 28 Feb. 2026

This season, Chock is a matador and Bates a bull in another creative program that requires Chock to navigate a long, flowing skirt that symbolizes a matador’s cape. —Alice Park, Time, 12 Jan. 2026

In a black top and pants with a bright red scarf secured around her hips, Buckley is giving…matador? —Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 15 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, from matar to kill

First Known Use

1681, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for matador

• albacore
• alongshore
• antiwar
• anymore
• blastopore
• carnivore
• commodore
• dinosaur
• evermore
• furthermore
• guarantor
• herbivore

Kids Definition

matador

noun

mat·​a·​dor ˈmat-ə-ˌdȯ(ə)r 

: the bullfighter who plays the major human part in a bullfight

Etymology

Spanish, literally "killer"