costar

1 of 2

noun

co·​star ˈkō-ˌstär 

variants or co-star

plural costars or co-stars

: one of two or more main performers who star in a movie, play, etc.

… the star seems more relaxed and confident, and there's a bracing snap to the byplay between him and his costars.

—Mark Harris

costar

2 of 2

verb

variants or co-star

costarred or co-starred; costarring or co-starring

1

transitive : to employ or present (someone) as one of two or more leading performers in a movie, play, etc.

Directed by Lasse Hallström … and costarring a fine ensemble …

—Leonora Langley

2

intransitive : to appear with another star in a movie, play, etc.

Examples of costar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

On Abbott Elementary, his character and costar Quinta Brunson’s character, teacher Janine Teagues, are dating as of the current fourth season. —Brian Anthony Hernandez, People.com, 23 Feb. 2025

Stan reunited with his costar, Adam Pearson from A Different Man, while Andrew Scott caught up with actor Jay Ellis. —Paul Chi, Vogue, 23 Feb. 2025

Verb

Curtis costars in The Last Showgirl alongside Pamela Anderson, Brenda Song and Kiernan Shipka as a group of women living and struggling to pay their bills in Las Vegas. —Tommy McArdle, People.com, 24 Feb. 2025

The underwater rescue film Last Breath starring Woody Harrelson and Simu Liu opens alongside the ensemble crime comedy Riff Raff and the Sonequa Martin-Green comedy My Dead Friend Zoe, which costars Ed Harris and Morgan Freeman. —Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 23 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1888, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1896, in the meaning defined at sense 2