drag queen

noun

plural drag queens

: a person and especially a man who performs as an entertainer in usually female drag (see drag entry 3 sense 2a)

Drag queens, who are traditionally male, dress in "drag" as female characters.

—Laura Wavra

For the past decade, (basically since RuPaul started Drag Race) traditional drag queens (ie, cis men performing as female characters) have been blowing up in the popular zeitgeist …

—Brittany Knupper

Drag is not simply female impersonation, but involves drag queens exaggerating femininity and drag kings exaggerating masculinity.

—Shannon Kelly

[Victoria] Sin is a female-bodied non-binary drag queen, examining how Western ideals of femininity are produced and consumed.

—Amrou Al-Kadhi

They are a black, non-binary drag queen with a beard in a part of the country that has a reputation for being anti-LGBTQ+.

—Bailey Shelton

Examples of drag queen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Ving Rhames plays against type as Holiday Heart, a gay drag queen who forges a bond with a single mother (Alfre Woodard) and her young daughter (Jesika Reynolds). —Cydney Lee and Kevin Jacobsen Published, EW.com, 18 Dec. 2024

These include Voice Germany winner and drag queen Ares, whose bold persona aligns with the brand’s youthful and edgy image, and Swiss figure skater Kimmy Repond, a mid-tier influencer with a loyal but niche following. —Alison Bringé, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024

Its tables served everyone in Detroit, from the city’s first Black mayor to its drag queens to Jewish families seeking Christmas meals. —Troy Aidan Sambajon, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Dec. 2024

Thrift store finds, peel-and-stick wallpaper and flooring, drag queen inspiration: Decorating a small apartment in L.A. As an art director with a background in theater, Mary Kenny has a flair for interior design that rivals her skills as an event planner in the entertainment industry. —Lisa Boone, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1941, in the meaning defined above