rock star

noun

plural rock stars

1

: a famous rock musician

From my standpoint, from '72 to '76, I was the ultimate rock star. I couldn't have been more of a rock star. Anything that had to do with being a rock 'n' roll singer was what I was going for.

—David Bowie

He's what I always thought rock stars should be: sexy, dangerous, outrageous, and funny. And at least a little self-aware.

—Doug Brod

2

: a highly accomplished and well-regarded person in a particular field

Locals came streaming across a muddy construction site on the Cooper River to catch a glimpse of the rock star of politics.

—Howard Fineman

The Colchester Boards of Selectmen, Finance and Education are the rock stars of our town's elected government.

—Jason Cohen

For the agency, whose mission is building soil health, Brandt [David Brandt, farmer] has emerged as a kind of rock star. He's a "step ahead of the game."

—Tom Philpott

Pale-faced and bespectacled, the 43-year-old Chudzinski is an emerging rock star in NFL coaching circles.

—David G Fleming

… the day of the celebrity chef is seriously upon us. Chefs have become the rock stars of their generation, and we all long to know them better.

—Ruth Reichl

Examples of rock star in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For the first time, Goldman and his trusted Charm City Cakes team are up against six other rock star teams of cake artists to compete for the gold in a series of challenges over the course of four days and six episodes in his new show Super Mega Cakes. —Emily Rella, People.com, 27 June 2025

Fellow British label Dunhill, which also migrated to Milan this season, dug into the elegance of Windsor men — in particular, the Duke of Windsor and King Charles, as well as British rock stars Bryan Ferry and Charlie Watts. —Chidozie Obasi, CNN Money, 25 June 2025

The shop sold teenage rock star Ritchie Valens his first guitar, a sleek Gibson ES-225 electric, in 1958. —Jasmine Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 23 June 2025

So why make a big deal over the death of one 82-year-old rock star? —Patricia Schultheis, Baltimore Sun, 21 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for rock star

• adar
• afar
• ajar
• alar
• ansar
• bazaar
• bizarre
• boxcar
• boyar
• bulbar
• cachar
• cigar