leading man

noun

Synonyms of leading mannext
: an actor who plays the leading male role

Examples of leading man in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The real star here is Jacob Elordi, who is continuing to show genuine chops as a leading man. — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026 Ryan was briefly mentioned during the first season during a conversation between the show’s leading men Shane Hollander, played by Hudson Williams, and Ilya Rozanov, played by Connor Storrie, as the latter spent a season together playing in Boston. — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2026 Having found his leading man, director William Wyler set out to find the young princess. — Daria Egidi, Vanity Fair, 23 Aug. 2026 The leading men were outfitted with head-turning wigs and conspicuous facial hair, as well as spot-on replicas of the group's Tommy Nutter suits and denim ensembles. — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 17 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for leading man

Word History

First Known Use

1827, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of leading man was in 1827

Rhymes for leading man

See All Rhymes for leading man

Browse Nearby Words

leadingly
leading man
leading mark
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Leading man.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leading%20man. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

leading man

noun
: an actor who plays the leading male role in a play or movie

More from Merriam-Webster on leading man

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for leading man

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