star
6 synonyms and 0 antonyms for star, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A huge, glowing ball of gas in space, held together by gravity, that produces light and heat through nuclear fusion.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
How to use star
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Etymology
From Old English steorra, going back through Proto-Germanic to an ancient Indo-European root also behind Latin stella and Greek astēr — making "star" a distant cousin of words like "astronomy" and "disaster."
Full origin of star →Frequently asked questions
What does “star” mean?
The word “star” means a huge, glowing ball of gas in space, held together by gravity, that produces light and heat through nuclear fusion. In plain terms, a bright object in the night sky, a pointed symbol shaped like one, or a famous, standout person.
How do you pronounce “star”?
“Star” is pronounced stah (/stɑɹ/ in IPA).
How do you use “star” in a sentence?
Here is “star” used in a sentence: “On a clear night you can see thousands of stars.”
What is another word for “star”?
Words with a similar meaning to “star” include aster, ✶, ＊ and sun.
What part of speech is “star”?
Depending on how it is used, “star” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “star” come from?
The word “star” comes from Latin. From Old English steorra, going back through Proto-Germanic to an ancient Indo-European root also behind Latin stella and Greek astēr — making "star" a distant cousin of words like "astronomy" and "disaster.".
Is “star” a common word?
“Star” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “star” have?
“Star” has 5 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a huge, glowing ball of gas in space, held together by gravity, that produces light and heat through nuclear fusion.
What is the difference between a star and a planet?
A star produces its own light and heat through nuclear fusion in its core, like our Sun. A planet does not — it merely reflects light from a nearby star and orbits it. Stars are vastly larger and hotter than planets. In short, stars shine by their own power, while planets only borrow it.
Is the Sun a star?
Yes. The Sun is a star — an average-sized one, often called a yellow dwarf. It appears far bigger and brighter than other stars only because it is so much closer to Earth. Every other star you see in the night sky is a distant sun, many of them far larger than our own.
Why do stars twinkle?
Stars appear to twinkle because their light passes through Earth's atmosphere, where moving pockets of air at different temperatures bend the light slightly in different directions. This makes the star seem to flicker. Planets twinkle far less because they show a small disc rather than a single concentrated point of light.
What are stars made of?
Stars are mostly hydrogen and helium, the two lightest and most abundant elements in the universe. Under immense gravity, hydrogen fuses into helium in the core, releasing the light and heat we see. Over their lifetimes, stars forge heavier elements, which spread through space when they eventually die and explode.