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

After Trachtenberg’s death was confirmed by the NYPD, many of her former costars reacted to the news of her death, including Blake Lively, Ed Westwick and Chace Crawford. —Kirsty Hatcher, People.com, 24 Apr. 2025

Their attendance comes just days after costar Sadie Sink, who is currently performing across the street in the new play John Proctor Is the Villain, also made a visit to the production. —Emlyn Travis, EW.com, 23 Apr. 2025

Verb

Washington’s response comes a few weeks after Othello’s director Kenny Leon also weighed in on the high ticket prices in an interview with the Daily Mail, comparing seeing the show, which costars Jake Gyllenhaal, to watching an L.A. Lakers game or watching a Beyoncé concert. —Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 22 Apr. 2025

And on a recent episode of the Drama Queens podcast, hosted by his former One Tree Hill costars Sophia Bush, Hilarie Burton Morgan and Bethany Joy Lenz, the actor reflects on playing the part. —Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 17 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1888, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1896, in the meaning defined at sense 2