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Meaning & use

leading lady

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˌliːdɪŋ ˈleɪdi/
US/ˌliːdɪŋ ˈleɪdi/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable

    The actress who plays the most important female part in a film, play or show.

    Grammar: Has a plural: leading ladies. Often followed by in or of a production.

    Patterns

    • the leading lady in something
    • the leading lady of something

    She was cast as the leading lady in the school play.

    The leading lady won an award for her performance.

    The director chose an unknown actress as his leading lady.

  2. nouncountablefigurative

    A woman who plays the most important or most admired part in a group, field or event.

    Grammar: Used figuratively, usually in the singular, with of or in.

    Patterns

    • the leading lady of something

    She became the leading lady of British tennis.

    The young singer is now the leading lady of the opera house.

    The mayor was the leading lady of the town's festival.

Word forms

pluralleading ladies

Common combinations

play the leading lady
She was thrilled to play the leading lady in the musical.
cast a leading lady
The studio is still trying to cast a leading lady.
glamorous leading lady
The glamorous leading lady wore a silver gown.
leading lady and leading man
The leading lady and leading man appeared on the cover together.

Synonyms and how they differ

lead actress
Lead actress is the modern neutral term, while leading lady is more traditional and old-fashioned.
female lead
Female lead is plain and neutral, whereas leading lady carries a hint of glamour.
star
Star means the best-known performer and can be of either sex, while leading lady refers to a specific female role.
heroine
Heroine is the central female character in a story, while leading lady is the actress playing her.

Opposites

supporting actress

Word family

leading man noun
the actor who plays the main male role
lead noun
the main role in a film or play
leading adjective
most important or in first place
lady noun
a polite word for a woman

Commonly confused: leading lady or lead lady?

leading lady vs lead lady

Lead lady is a less common variant, and the standard phrase is leading lady.

Practice

The studio announced that an unknown actress would be the ____ in the new romantic film.

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