Meaning & use
a drag king
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A performer who dresses as a man, often exaggerating male characteristics, for entertainment.
Grammar: Countable; you can say 'a drag king' or 'two drag kings'.
Patterns
- perform as a drag king
- a drag king show
- dress up as a drag king
She performs as a drag king at the local club.
The drag king wore a fake mustache and a suit.
Drag kings often parody traditional ideas of masculinity.
Word forms
| plural | drag kings |
|---|
Common combinations
- perform as a drag king
- He performs as a drag king on weekends.
- a drag king show
- We went to a drag king show last night.
- dress up as a drag king
- For the party, she decided to dress up as a drag king.
Synonyms and how they differ
- male impersonator
- An older term for a woman who performs as a man; 'drag king' is more specific to the modern performance style and LGBTQ+ culture.
Opposites
Commonly confused: a drag king or drag queen?
a drag king vs drag queen
A drag queen is a performer who dresses as a woman, often exaggerating female characteristics; a drag king does the opposite.
Practice
What is a drag king?
Choose one answer.
A drag king is a performer who dresses as a man, often exaggerating male characteristics, for entertainment. The other options are unrelated to this meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a drag king”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.