star 1 of 2

noun

ˈstär How to pronounce star (audio)
Definition of starnext
1
as in galaxy
a ball-shaped gaseous celestial body that shines by its own light it's difficult to see the stars at night in the middle of the city because of all the streetlights

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in principal
the person who has the most important role in a play, movie, or TV show when the star of the school play came down with the flu on opening night, her understudy got to go on

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in celebrity
a person who is widely known and usually much talked about the public's endless fascination with stars

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

star

2 of 2

adjective

1
as in celestial
of or relating to the stars star observations

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in outstanding
standing above others in rank, importance, or achievement the teacher's star pupil

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in famous
widely known looking for star actors to play the leads

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 star
Noun
While the main event was obviously the splashy spectacle, the official VS after-party (at Chateau Marmont) was just as star-studded. — Christian Allaire, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2026 Week 6 of the NFL season featured a star player returning from one of the season’s most dramatic injuries, an important game across the pond and another devastating loss for a Super Bowl contender. — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026
Adjective
Mason was confirmed as the winner of Paul’s Bachelorette season when, in season five of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, Paul and her co-star Jessi Draper discussed Mason’s resemblance to Paul’s ex, Dakota Mortensen. — Isabella Albaig, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2026 This breakup announcement came shortly after LaBeouf was photographed leaving co-star FKA twigs’s home in London. — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for star
Recent Examples of Synonyms for star
  1. galaxy
  2. principal
  3. celebrity
  4. celestial
  5. outstanding
  6. famous
  7. sun
  8. personality
Noun
  • These explosions, known as hypernovas, were first proposed to explain unusual stars in the halo of our galaxy, the Milky Way, and in a neighboring dwarf galaxy.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 14 Oct. 2026
  • That all three gossamer galaxies existed along a line, as neighbors, didn’t escape the attention of astrophysicists, who began to coalesce around an origin story.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of galaxy
Noun
  • The district has a formal process for challenging instructional materials, which requires parents to first raise objections with their school’s principal before appealing to the district through a reconsideration form.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Britton plays Ellen Cooke, a high school principal and single mother to Sonny (Nivola); the pair have a perfect, loving mother-son relationship.
    — Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of principal
Noun
  • Another factor contributing to the hero item phenomenon is the cult of the celebrity designer.
    — Alexandra Hildreth, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Some outcry over the Polymarket contract has been aimed at its celebrity promoters.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of celebrity
Adjective
  • Heavily promoted as the most anticipated celestial event of the second half of the 20th century, the comet proved to be an underwhelming sight that belied promises of a spectacle never to be seen again.
    — Joe Rao, Space.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The Draconids are also referred to as the Giacobinids in honor of that comet’s discoverer, Michel Giacobini, who spotted the celestial object in 1900.
    — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of celestial
Adjective
  • The award, which was established by the city of Naperville in 1993, recognizes Naperville-area students for outstanding community service.
    — Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • There is no court date scheduled for Wang appearing because there is still an outstanding warrant, a circuit court spokesperson said.
    — Eduardo Cuevas, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of outstanding
Adjective
  • Recent criticism The century-old restaurant guide is famous for its secrecy; its inspectors are anonymous and the company releases only vague information about their evaluation process.
    — Henri Hollis, AJC.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Schumer's vacation photos drew encouragement from several famous friends.
    — Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of famous
Noun
  • These compounds quickly destroy the stratospheric ozone, the gas that filters out harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
    — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Ways to help control electricity use To control electricity use in the heat, the DWP recommends setting air conditioners to 78 degrees, closing curtains during peak sun hours and using fans to circulate air.
    — Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of sun
Noun
  • This hyper-femme approach to design is both charming and eclectic—perfect for the marrier who wants to showcase all sides of their style and personality on their special day.
    — Shelby Wax, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The president and vice president will appear in the Oval Office with conservative YouTube personality Nick Shirley, whose video series from Minnesota late last year led to fraud investigations of day care centers there that receive federal money.
    — Natalie Allison, Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of personality

Browse Nearby Words

stapling
star
starburst
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Star.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/star. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on star

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about star

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of jilt

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All