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superstar

n.
US //ˌsupɝˈstɑɹ// UK //sˈuːpəstˌɑː// su·per·star
  1. 1 a famous celebrity (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a person who is very famous, especially a singer, actor, or athlete.

    a high-level celebrity who has achieved immense fame and public recognition.

    Example

    The young singer became a global superstar after her first album sold millions of copies.

    Example

    The marketing campaign relied heavily on the superstar's endorsement to ensure the product appealed to a younger demographic.

  2. 2 a top employee (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

    an employee who does much better work than everyone else.

    an exceptionally productive or talented employee who consistently outperforms their peers.

    Example

    She is the superstar of the sales department and always hits her targets early.

    Example

    The firm struggles to retain its corporate superstars, as competing agencies frequently offer them significantly higher salaries and better benefits.

    • high flyer
    • top performer
    • underperformer
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  1. 3 a massive star (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Archaic Science

    a very large and bright star in space.

    a giant or supergiant star of immense luminosity and mass.

    Example

    The telescope captured a clear image of a distant superstar at the edge of the galaxy.

    Example

    Early astronomical texts occasionally used the term superstar to describe what modern astrophysicists now classify more precisely as a blue hypergiant.

    • supergiant
    • hypergiant
    • dwarf star
Origin

From super- + star.

Word family

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