leading man

noun

: 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.
That interpretation reached something of a tipping point with the September 30 death of Creel, one of Broadway’s most popular leading men of musicals and much beloved for his LGBTQ+ activism. Greg Evans, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2024 The script was becoming notorious around town as Harlin’s wedding gift to his new wife, not a boon to any leading man who wanted to keep his edge or pulling power. Alex Ritman, Variety, 30 Oct. 2024 In the lead-up to his first go-round as a leading man in a major studio film, Quan and the producorial team were weighing the possibilities for the role of Cliff, Marvin’s realtor boss, and that’s when someone suggested a casting that would mark a 40-year reunion. Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Oct. 2024 Threads from each of the 21 previous Marvel films come to a head in this satisfying, unexpectedly emotional finale which is notable for passing the baton from Tony Stark to Spider-Man in terms of MCU leading men. Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 30 Oct. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near leading man

Cite this Entry

“Leading man.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leading%20man. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.

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

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