rock star

noun

plural rock stars

1

: a famous rock musician

From my standpoint, from '72 to '76, I was the ultimate rock star. I couldn't have been more of a rock star. Anything that had to do with being a rock 'n' roll singer was what I was going for.

—David Bowie

He's what I always thought rock stars should be: sexy, dangerous, outrageous, and funny. And at least a little self-aware.

—Doug Brod

2

: a highly accomplished and well-regarded person in a particular field

Locals came streaming across a muddy construction site on the Cooper River to catch a glimpse of the rock star of politics.

—Howard Fineman

The Colchester Boards of Selectmen, Finance and Education are the rock stars of our town's elected government.

—Jason Cohen

For the agency, whose mission is building soil health, Brandt [David Brandt, farmer] has emerged as a kind of rock star. He's a "step ahead of the game."

—Tom Philpott

Pale-faced and bespectacled, the 43-year-old Chudzinski is an emerging rock star in NFL coaching circles.

—David G Fleming

… the day of the celebrity chef is seriously upon us. Chefs have become the rock stars of their generation, and we all long to know them better.

—Ruth Reichl

Examples of rock star in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The lineup for the 2025 Williams Sonoma Culinary Stage — which pairs renowned chefs with rock stars, sports figures and other celebrities — will be announced at a later date. —Jim Harrington, The Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2025

Shelter Celebrity Homes January 14, 2025 The midcentury-modern home that the legendary rock star and his wife leased for about a year during the 1960s is now on the market for $9.3 million. —Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 14 Jan. 2025

As far as Cubs Conventions go, Sosa’s introduction might be the most electric moment at the Sheraton Grand Chicago since the World Series champs showed up in 2017 and got the rock star treatment. —Sahadev Sharma, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025

Bikers or rock stars in the early 2000s will probably come to mind to the show guests, as models — including a few women exalting the no-gendered MM6 approach — will walk down the runway mounted inside Florence’s Tepidarium del Roster glass and steel greenhouse. —Martino Carrera, WWD, 14 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined at sense 1