superstar

noun

su·​per·​star ˈsü-pər-ˌstär 

1

: a star (as in sports or the movies) who is considered extremely talented, has great public appeal, and can usually command a high salary

But last year, when people started posting hits from superstars like Madonna and Puff Daddy on the Web, where anyone could download them for free, the record companies went ballistic.

—N'Gai Croal et al.

The notion that superstars are protected by NBA refs is neither a new nor a particularly farfetched one.

—Jack McCallum

2

: one that is very prominent or is a prime attraction

From Wolfgang Puck to Alice Waters, America's leading chefs have become superstars.

—Marian Burros

With that the judge sentenced the one time superstar investor to three years in prison for his role in the largest insider-trading scandal in history.

—Time Magazine

Chardonnay is the superstar among white-wine grapes …

—Barbara Ensrud

superstardom

ˈsü-pər-ˌstär-dəm 

noun

Synonyms

• cause célèbre
• cause celebre
• celeb
• celebrity
• figure
• icon
• ikon
• light
• luminary
• megastar
• name
• notability
• notable
• notoriety
• personage
• personality
• somebody
• standout
• star
• VIP

Examples of superstar in a Sentence

a basketball superstar

Recent Examples on the Web

Looney is a rebounding superstar, and Green being a generational defender helps a lot. —Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024

Mariah Carey, Queen of Christmas, Just Dropped a Line of Christmas Decor and Gifts at Amazon And the superstar went step further in honor of the 30th anniversary of her best-selling Christmas album by launching an Amazon storefront. —Jade Gomez, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024

In the background, a man can be heard shouting at Kelce and then using a homophobic slur to describe Travis Kelce in reference to his relationship with pop superstar Taylor Swift. —Phil Helsel, NBC News, 5 Nov. 2024

The alien superstar paid homage to Pamela Anderson for Halloween this year, channeling the actress and model's looks from the series Baywatch and movie Barb Wire. —Jessica Wang, EW.com, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1914, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

superstar

noun

su·​per·​star ˈsü-pər-ˌstär 

: a star (as in sports or the movies) who is considered extremely talented, has great public appeal, and can usually command a high salary

superstardom

-dəm 

noun