drag queen

noun

plural drag queens
: a person and especially a man who performs as an entertainer in usually female drag (see drag entry 3 sense 2a)
Drag queens, who are traditionally male, dress in "drag" as female characters.Laura Wavra
For the past decade, (basically since RuPaul started Drag Race) traditional drag queens (ie, cis men performing as female characters) have been blowing up in the popular zeitgeist …Brittany Knupper
Drag is not simply female impersonation, but involves drag queens exaggerating femininity and drag kings exaggerating masculinity.Shannon Kelly
[Victoria] Sin is a female-bodied non-binary drag queen, examining how Western ideals of femininity are produced and consumed.Amrou Al-Kadhi
They are a black, non-binary drag queen with a beard in a part of the country that has a reputation for being anti-LGBTQ+.Bailey Shelton

Examples of drag queen 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.
In addition to Roan, he’s designed looks for drag queen Pattie Gonia, 21c Museum Hotels founder Steve Wilson, and the red carpet outfit for The School for Good and Evil author Soman Chainani. Sara Belcher, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024 Bilal Hasna is transforming into Layla, the title drag queen in Amrou Al-Kadhi‘s feature directorial debut. Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 16 Oct. 2024 Olivia Dreams Olivia Dreams is an up-and-coming drag queen on the Wellington scene. Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 9 Oct. 2024 Features special appearance by drag queen The Lady Phaedra, and soprano Victoria Okafor. $18-$45. Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 25 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for drag queen 

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1941, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of drag queen was circa 1941

Dictionary Entries Near drag queen

Cite this Entry

“Drag queen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drag%20queen. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on drag queen

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!