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

Not even creeping death could quash the rock star within. —Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 7 Oct. 2025

The designer might give off a rock star vibe with her nonchalant image, but deep inside, craftsmanship is near and dear to her heart, like the thousands of vinyl records she’s collected throughout her career. —Hikmat Mohammed, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2025

So by any measure, most of us in this country – especially rock stars like me – are very lucky. —Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2025

The Encore spans two decades, beginning at a prestigious Boston conservatory in 2003, where readers meet a future indie rock star who will spend the subsequent years trying to outrun her demons, per Izon. —Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 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