ACTOR Synonyms: 74 Similar and Opposite Words

actor

noun

ˈak-tər

Definition of actor

as in actress

one who acts professionally (as in a play, movie, or television show) my sister went to drama school to become an actor

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in participant

one who takes part in something Benjamin Franklin was a major actor in many of the events leading up to the founding of our nation

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of actor One simple habit exemplified the actor’s instinct to be of service to others. — Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026 There are more and more actors which are producing the inspector robots. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 25 Aug. 2026 Dolly Parton was more than a musician, actor, author, philanthropist, or theme-park entrepreneur. — Maria Sherman, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026 The force has since supported several non-state actors in the Middle East, from Hamas in Gaza to the Houthis in Yemen and even the Taliban in Afghanistan during the 1990s. — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for actor

Recent Examples of Synonyms for actor

Noun

Now, as her family, friends and fans mourn, questions remain about what happened in the actress’ final hours before her death at age 36, far from home at an apartment in South Carolina.

— Julianna Bragg, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
Best actor, meanwhile, went to Adrian Văncică for You Don’t Belong Here, which comes with the same cash prize as best actress.

— Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of actress

Noun

Before even beginning their workout, nearly every participant in Sylvia Borowska’s recent Liftonic class was crying.

— Sneha Dhandapani, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
The move prompted a rather overheated response from market participants and commentators, as either a bad look for a Treasury Secretary who had charged his predecessor with untoward massaging of market rates, or too small to matter, or both.

— Michael Santoli, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of participant

Noun

The tinted windows looked out onto the courts where Richardson trained some of the best young female players in the Rio Grande Valley, but the glass was one-way, and from outside, nothing that happened in the room was visible.

— Molly Hensley-Clancy, Washington Post, 20 Aug. 2026
Muyumba scored the go-ahead goal in the 78th on a counterattack to become the ninth player in club history to score in three straight games.

— CBS News, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of player

Noun

Three additional cuts by the powerhouse entertainer have broken into the top 10 without soaring all the way to the summit.

— Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
The 30-year-old entertainer, whose real name is Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, learned on Friday that prosecutors intend to try him for a second time on the charges.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of entertainer

Noun

The latest entry to cross the pond is unlikely to reap similar success despite the presence of Claire Foy and Andrew Garfield in leading roles and a supporting cast featuring some of England’s finest thespians.

— Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 20 Aug. 2026
Here’s why that’s unlikely to happen, and a ranking of the thespians most likely to land more than one Oscar nod.

— Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of thespian

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activity

actor

actorish

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“Actor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/actor. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of actor

noun

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