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

Criss’ costar Colfer posed atop booths for photos, while others stood on chairs to get a good view of the concert. —Emily Burns, Footwear News, 9 June 2025

Sarah Snook, who played Shiv Roy on that HBO drama, was nominated (and went on to win!), following in the footsteps of her costars Jeremy Strong and Keiran Culkin. —Melissa Locker, Time, 9 June 2025

Verb

The film costars Eiza González, Domhnall Gleeson, Carmen Ejogo and Stanley Tucci. —Julia Teti, Footwear News, 20 May 2025

Jenna Ortega costars as an obsessed fan in co-writer/director Trey Edwards Shults' lackluster drama. —Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 15 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1888, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1896, in the meaning defined at sense 2