thesp

noun

: actor

Examples of thesp in a Sentence

a brawling actor who is in danger of becoming better known as a thug than as a thesp
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That fall, the Toronto playwright and performer got cast in a new play and hit it off with fellow thesp Fab Filippo, also a performer who created his own work. Katherine Brodsky, Variety, 22 Nov. 2022 Hopefully, the thesp will deliver a performance that moves him up a peg or two in the in-the-works sequel. Joe Tobal, EW.com, 7 Oct. 2022 Legend is a multi-hyphenate musician, songwriter, actor and producer who has become active in television as a thesp and producer. Cynthia Littleton, chicagotribune.com, 19 Dec. 2017 Two of these, a jazz pianist named Seb (Ryan Gosling) and a thesp (as the trades would say) named Mia (Emma Stone), meet cute in a gigantic traffic jam that doubles as a song-and-dance extravaganza. A. O. Scott, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2016

Word History

Etymology

short for thespian

First Known Use

1962, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of thesp was in 1962

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Cite this Entry

“Thesp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thesp. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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