Meaning & use
star
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A huge ball of burning gas in space that gives out its own light and heat.
Grammar: Countable; use a/an or the with it: a star, the stars.
Patterns
- a star in the sky
- the stars
The sun is the closest star to Earth.
At night we could see thousands of stars.
This telescope can show stars that are too faint to see with the eye.
nouncountable
A very famous and successful performer, especially in films, music, or sports.
Grammar: Countable; often used with a name or role: a movie star, a football star.
Patterns
- a movie star
- a football star
- become a star
She became a star after her first hit song.
The team's star player scored the winning goal.
Many young actors dream of becoming stars.
nouncountable
A shape with five or more points, often used as a symbol or decoration.
Grammar: Countable; often used in compounds like 'star-shaped'.
Patterns
- a star shape
- draw a star
The child drew a yellow star on the card.
The flag has a white star in each corner.
She put a star next to the correct answers.
verbtransitive or intransitive
To have a main role in a play, film, or show.
Grammar: Can be used with an object (star a movie) or without (star in a movie).
Patterns
- star in something
- star someone
He starred in several successful comedies.
The film stars a young actress from Canada.
She will star in the new musical next year.
Word forms
| plural | stars |
|---|---|
| third person singular | stars |
| past tense | starred |
| past participle | starred |
| -ing form | starring |
Common combinations
- rising star
- The young singer is a rising star in the music world.
- star player
- Their star player was injured before the final.
- movie star
- He looked like a movie star in that suit.
- star in a film
- She will star in a new film next year.
- five-pointed star
- The badge showed a five-pointed star.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
Commonly confused: star or planet?
star vs planet
A planet does not produce its own light; it shines by reflecting light from a star.
Practice
The Sun is a ___ that gives us light and heat.
Choose one answer.
The Sun is a star because it produces its own light and heat. A planet reflects light, a moon orbits a planet, and a comet is a small icy body, so none of those fits the definition.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “star”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.