as in actor
one who acts professionally (as in a play, movie, or television show)
a brawling actor who is in danger of becoming better known as a thug than as a thesp
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of thesp
That fall, the Toronto playwright and performer got cast in a new play and hit it off with fellow thesp Fab Filippo, also a performer who created his own work.
—
Katherine Brodsky, Variety, 22 Nov. 2022
Hopefully, the thesp will deliver a performance that moves him up a peg or two in the in-the-works sequel.
—Joe Tobal, EW.com, 7 Oct. 2022
Legend is a multi-hyphenate musician, songwriter, actor and producer who has become active in television as a thesp and producer.
—Cynthia Littleton, chicagotribune.com, 19 Dec. 2017
Two of these, a jazz pianist named Seb (Ryan Gosling) and a thesp (as the trades would say) named Mia (Emma Stone), meet cute in a gigantic traffic jam that doubles as a song-and-dance extravaganza.
—A. O. Scott, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thesp
Noun
-
The actor gave him the tickets after a video of Mamoud diving into a snowbank went viral.—
-
Given the actors' previous antics on the podcast, however, there's a big question mark over how sincere Glassman's new comments are.—
Noun
-
Over the past few years, the actress and TikTok creator has frequently gone viral for her hilarious interactions with guests at Disneyland while playing Snow White's Evil Queen.—
-
One major development in the latter part of 2025 was the arrival on the scene of Tilly Norwood, a generative AI actress developed by Dutch actress and technologist Eline Van Der Velden.—
Noun
-
The 30-year-old from Venezuela pitched out of the bullpen early on but has been a steady performer and mostly a reliable winner since moving into the rotation exclusively in 2022.—
-
The episode is the first of the new year, returning from the holiday break with A$AP Rocky in his debut as an SNL musical performer.—
Cite this Entry
“Thesp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thesp. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
