# performer

/pɝˈfɔɹmɝ/ (US) · /pəfˈɔːmɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/performer
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. entertainer

noun · CEFR B1

a person who entertains people by acting, singing, dancing, or playing music.

For teachers: an individual who performs for an audience in an artistic or entertainment capacity.

- The street performer played the guitar while people walked past.
- The lead performer received a standing ovation for her nuanced portrayal of the tragic heroine in the final act.

Usage: Often used with modifiers like 'solo', 'live', or 'street'.

### 2. worker or achiever

noun · CEFR B2 · Academic

someone who does a job or task, especially when you are talking about how well they do it.

For teachers: a person or entity evaluated by the quality or efficiency of their work or functional output.

- She is a top performer in the sales department and always meets her goals.
- The manager identified the high performers within the team to lead the new international project.

Usage: Commonly appears in professional contexts with adjectives like 'high', 'top', or 'poor'.

## Examples

- The street performer played the guitar for the passing crowd.
- Every performer in the play received a standing ovation for their hard work during the opening night.
- While the lead singer is a charismatic performer, the success of the tour depends equally on the technical crew managing the complex stage lighting and sound systems.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.