Performers and entertainers

someone who can balance, jump, and turn their body in skilful ways, especially as a form of entertainment

act (noun)

a singer, band, or other person or group who performs on stage. Two people who perform together, especially two comedians, are called a double act

artist (noun)

a professional performer in music, dance, or the theatre

artiste (noun)

someone who is a professional entertainer, for example a singer or a dancer

cast (noun)

all the performers in a film, play etc

clown (noun)

a performer in a circus who wears funny clothes and makes people laugh by doing silly things

comedian (noun)

someone whose job is to entertain people by telling jokes and stories to make them laugh

comedienne (noun)

old-fashioned a female comedian

comic (noun)

someone whose job is to entertain people by telling jokes and stories to make them laugh

conjurer (noun)

someone who performs magic tricks as entertainment, especially tricks using quick hand movements. This is called conjuring.

contortionist (noun)

someone who twists their body into unusual shapes or positions as a way of entertaining people

dame (noun)

British a man dressed as an old woman who performs in a Christmas pantomime

double act (noun)

British two people who perform together, especially two entertainers, or a performance by these two people

drag queen (noun)

a man who wears women’s clothes as an entertainer

duo (noun)

two people who sing, play music, or perform together

entertainer (noun)

someone who entertains people

escapologist (noun)

someone who entertains audiences by escaping from ropes, chains, boxes etc. This form of entertainment is called escapology.

female impersonator (noun)

a man who dresses and acts like a woman, as a way of entertaining people

fire-eater (noun)

an entertainer who does tricks with fire, including putting burning sticks into their mouth

funny man (noun)

a man whose job is to entertain people by telling jokes

geisha (noun)

a Japanese woman whose job is to entertain men by singing, dancing, playing music, and making conversation

gender bender (noun)

informal someone, especially an entertainer, who dresses and behaves like a person of the opposite sex

headliner (noun)

the main performer in a show or at an event, whose name is used to attract people to come to listen or watch

hypnotist (noun)

someone who hypnotizes people either for medical reasons or for entertainment

impersonator (noun)

someone who impersonates someone else in order to make people laugh, especially as a job

impresario (noun)

someone who organizes performances such as concerts, plays, or operas

impressionist (noun)

an entertainer who makes people laugh by copying the way that famous people talk or behave

interpreter (noun)

someone who performs a piece of music, a part in a play etc in a way that shows how they understand or feel about it

lead (noun)

a lead singer, dancer, guitar etc is the main singer, dancer, guitar player etc in a group

line-up (noun)

the people who will perform at an event

matador (noun)

in the Spanish sport of bullfighting, the person who kills the bull

minstrel (noun)

a white entertainer during the 19th and early 20th centuries who copied the appearance and singing of black people

pantomime horse (noun)

a character in pantomime that looks like a silly horse and is played by two people inside a costume

puppeteer (noun)

a person who performs shows using puppets

raconteur (noun)

someone who tells stories in a funny and interesting way. The more usual word for this is a storyteller.

redcoat (noun)

British someone whose job is to organize entertainment at a holiday camp, especially Butlins

ringmaster (noun)

someone who introduces the performers at a circus

showman (noun)

someone such as an entertainer or politician who does things in a lively and enthusiastic way that attracts attention

stand-up (noun)

informal someone whose job is to stand in front of an audience and entertain them by telling jokes

star (noun)

stooge (noun)

a straight man

straight man (noun)

an entertainer whose job is to say or do things that allow another entertainer to be funny

stripper (noun)

an entertainer who performs stripteases

strongman (noun)

a man who entertains an audience by doing things that need great strength

support (noun)

someone who performs in a show or concert but is not the main performer

toreador (noun)

in Spain or Latin America, someone whose job is to entertain people by fighting a bull, especially while riding a horse

troubadour (noun)

one of the poets and singers who travelled around southern France and northern Italy in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries

troupe (noun)

a group of performers, especially one that travels to different places to perform

trouper (noun)

a performer in a troupe, especially one who has a lot of experience

veejay (noun)

a video jockey

ventriloquist (noun)

an entertainer who can speak without moving his or her lips, especially one who makes a model, person, or animal appear to talk

VJ (noun)

informal a video jockey

Synonyms and antonyms of Performers and entertainers in British Thesaurus