as in actor
one who acts professionally (as in a play, movie, or television show)
although she's "acted" in a couple of horror movies, I'd hardly call her one of our more promising thespians
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of thespian
Weaving does little to challenge that image here, utilizing all her usual tricks as a bitter thespian who lacks the talent to land the theater role that will legitimize her as a serious actress.
—
Katie Rife, IndieWire, 16 Mar. 2026
The occasional odd campaign moment and foot-in-mouth gaff didn't help – neither did Jordan getting top honors from his fellow thespians at the Actor Awards.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
Be sure to stick around for the twice-daily gunfights staged in the dusty streets by local thespians in 10-gallon hats.
—Zoey Goto, Travel + Leisure, 8 Mar. 2026
Fine Arts Theatre Endowment to give back to Southwest Minnesota State and provide scholarships to aspiring thespians.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thespian
Katie Rife, IndieWire, 16 Mar. 2026
The occasional odd campaign moment and foot-in-mouth gaff didn't help – neither did Jordan getting top honors from his fellow thespians at the Actor Awards.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
Be sure to stick around for the twice-daily gunfights staged in the dusty streets by local thespians in 10-gallon hats.
—Zoey Goto, Travel + Leisure, 8 Mar. 2026
Fine Arts Theatre Endowment to give back to Southwest Minnesota State and provide scholarships to aspiring thespians.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thespian
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thespian
Noun
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In addition to True Blood, the actor has appeared in projects like The Fault in Our Stars (2014), This Is Us and Homeland.—
Alyssa Davis,
PEOPLE,
13 Apr. 2026
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There always has been, and still is, a healthy amount of improvisation built into the musical’s book, which keeps both audience and actors on their toes.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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There’s a certain type of actor or actress who only want to do that.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
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The photo did portray the actress and writer's natural beauty, from her skin's texture to her gray hair.—
Michelle Lee,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But that mood turns out to be a surprisingly strong fit for the performer at the center of director Pete Ohs’ story of personal dilemmas and natural disasters.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
15 Apr. 2026
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As teased in the opening of the first episode, Margo’s one-of-a-kind perspective comes from both of her parents’ performer personas.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Thespian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thespian. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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