leading man

noun

: an actor who plays the leading male role

Examples of leading man in a Sentence

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.
Farley launched his career as a big-screen comedic leading man with films like 1995's Tommy Boy and 1997's Beverly Hills Ninja, and the role of Shrek was specifically written for him. EW.com, 6 Dec. 2024 John David’s recent role in The Creator, a dystopian sci-fi epic, marks another milestone in his trajectory as a leading man. Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 5 Dec. 2024 Finnair calls itself the Official Airline of Santa Claus, and recently brought the leading man himself to London Heathrow Airport to start the countdown to Christmas. Michele Robson, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024 But the convoluted attempts to bring back their Oscar-winning leading man never truly took flight. Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for leading man 

Word History

First Known Use

1827, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of leading man was in 1827

Dictionary Entries Near leading man

Cite this Entry

“Leading man.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leading%20man. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

leading man

noun
: an actor who plays the leading male role in a play or movie

More from Merriam-Webster on leading man

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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