rockstar en · NOUN
Etymology
Etymology tree Middle English rokken English rock Proto-Indo-European *h₂ent- Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *h₂énts Proto-Indo-European *-i Proto-Indo-European *h₂énti Proto-Germanic *andi Old English and Middle English and English and Proto-Indo-European *Hreth₂- Proto-Indo-European *Hróth₂eh₂der. Proto-Italic *rotā Latin rota Proto-Indo-European *-lós Proto-Indo-European *-elós Proto-Italic *-elos Latin -ulus Latin rotulader. Latin rotulāre Old French roelerbor. Middle English rollen English roll English rock and rollellip. English rock Proto-Indo-European *h₂eHs- Proto-Indo-European *-tḗr Proto-Indo-European *h₂stḗr Proto-Germanic *sternǭ Proto-West Germanic *sternō Proto-West Germanic *sterrō Old English steorra Middle English sterre English star English rockstar From rock + star.
Meanings
-
A member of a rock band, or a solo artist in the genre, especially one with celebrity status.
By 1967, Jimi Hendrix had become a rockstar.
-
(attributive, figuratively, sometimes) A person who is renowned or revered in his or her field of accomplishment.
By 1985, Michael Jordan had become a rockstar of the NBA.
Christie has managed to become a rockstar among conservatives nationally while pursuing an agenda that is in many ways moderate.
2012 March 30, “The Three Reasons Romney Needs Chris Christie On His Ticket”, in Forbes, archived from the original on 30 Apr 2013, retrieved 24 May 2014:Science has long had an image problem but Dr Cox—also known as the rockstar physicist—has done the unthinkable and made particle physics cool.
2010 April 25, “The IoS Happy List 2010”, in The Independent, UK, archived from the original on 31 Jan 2018, retrieved 24 May 2014:2008: Fareed Zakaria, The Post-American World, Chapter VII Eventually Clinton relented and went to India in March 2000. He spent five days in the country, visited famous sights, put on traditional clothes, and took part in dances and ceremonies. He communicated the message that he enjoyed and admired India as a country and civilization. The result was a transformation. Clinton is a rock star in India.
Tony Hsieh is a rockstar software developer who's turning his attention to urban regeneration in Las Vegas.
2013 March 24, Rory Carroll, “Downtown Las Vegas may have found what it's looking for”, in The Guardian, UK, archived from the original on 01 Aug 2018, retrieved 24 May 2014:Near-synonyms: superstar, all-star, star
-
(figuratively, in corporate settings) Someone who works hard, achieves wins, or both; used in expressions of gratitude.
We end with a specific exercise where we distribute a small poster with about 10 tear-off sections that say simple things like “great job,” “you're a rockstar,” etc.
2021 March 9, Eric Karpinski, Put Happiness to Work: 7 Strategies to Elevate Engagement for Optimal Performance, McGraw Hill Professional, →ISBN, page 41:JULIE: I put my blood, sweat and tears into this project. MARCUS: You're a rockstar.
2023, Tim Robinson, I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson, season 3, episode 2:Near-synonyms: superstar, all-star, star
Congratulations to Ashley, who once again proved that she is a rockstar by rescuing a key account from the threat of nonrenewal.
-
(attributive, figuratively, sometimes) Any animal, plant, or other thing that is renowned amongst others of its type.
Many birds can sing beautifully, and various birds can mimic sounds that they hear, but lyrebirds are rockstars of mimickry in the bird world.
Owls are rockstars among raptors in the respect that they hunt amazingly well while also doing it under pitch-dark conditions and silently.
Near-synonyms: superstar, all-star, star
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| rockstars | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| rock star | alternative | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Hypernyms
person · rocker · musician · person · person
Synonyms
superstar · superstar · all-star · all-star · superstar · star · star · star · all-star
Translations (22)
de Rockstar (member of a rock band) · ru рок-звезда́ (member of a rock band) · pt roqueiro (member of a rock band) · fi rokkitähti (member of a rock band) · fi rocktähti (member of a rock band) · fi rocktähti (renowned person) · fi rockstara (member of a rock band) · pt estrela do rock (member of a rock band) · el αστέρι της ροκ (member of a rock band) · ja ロックスター (member of a rock band) · ko 락스타 (member of a rock band) · fr rockstar (member of a rock band) · nl rockster (member of a rock band) · mr रॉक्स्टार (member of a rock band) · fi stara (renowned person) · hi रॉकस्टार (member of a rock band) · it rockstar (member of a rock band) · mk рок-ѕвезда (member of a rock band) · az rok-ulduz (member of a rock band) · hi रॉक्स्टार (member of a rock band) · pl gwiazda rocka (member of a rock band) · ru рок-ста́р (member of a rock band)