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

At 73, Sting still cuts a perfect rock star pose while hugging his bass, his taut muscles peeking out from the sleeves of his white and gray T-shirt, his charisma and intellect forming the perfect collision. —Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 18 Oct. 2024

In the shadow of stadium lights and guitar riffs, a different kind of rock star has been developing backstage. —Cheryl Robinson, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024

The show, with music by Willie Fong Young and a book by Fred Burch, centered on a group of teenagers vying in a radio call-in contest to win a backstage pass to meet a rock star. —Christopher Barnard, Vogue, 17 Oct. 2024

Its opening paragraph is a roll call of the characters she’s played both on and off screen, from CJ in Baywatch to the wife of a rock star to her most current role in The Last Showgirl. —Emily Maddick, Glamour, 30 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined at sense 1