Meaning & use
has-been star
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Meaning
nouncountabledisapprovinginformal
A famous person who was once very popular but is now considered no longer important or successful.
Grammar: Countable; plural is 'has-been stars'. Often used after 'a' or 'the'.
Patterns
- a has-been star
- a has-been star from the 1980s
- be dismissed as a has-been star
The magazine called him a has-been star, even though his old films are still loved.
She refused to be treated as a has-been star and started her own production company.
A has-been star from the 90s made a surprise appearance at the awards.
Word forms
| plural | has-been stars |
|---|
Common combinations
- a former has-been star
- The article described him as a former has-been star who found new success.
- a has-been star of stage and screen
- She was a has-been star of stage and screen until her comeback tour.
- dismiss someone as a has-been star
- Critics dismissed her as a has-been star, but fans disagreed.
- a has-been star trying to make a comeback
- The documentary follows a has-been star trying to make a comeback.
Synonyms and how they differ
- has-been
- Shorter and more common; it can refer to anyone who was once successful, not just a star.
- former celebrity
- More neutral and polite; it does not suggest that the person is no longer respected.
- fallen star
- More literary and dramatic; it suggests a sudden loss of fame, often because of scandal.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: has-been star or wannabe?
has-been star vs wannabe
A 'wannabe' wants to become famous but is not yet; a 'has-been' was famous once but is not now.
Practice
After his last film flopped, the press began to call him a ______.
Choose one answer.
The singular countable noun 'a has-been star' fits after 'a'. 'Has-been stars' is plural and cannot follow 'a'; 'has-been star's' is possessive and needs a following noun; 'star has-been' reverses the fixed order of the phrase.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “has-been star”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.