noun · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈstɑːdʌst/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ˈstɑɹˌdʌst/
CMU ARPABET:S T AA1 R D AH2 S T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
Small fragments of dustlike material found in space; specifically, a type of cosmic dust that formed from cooling gases ejected from presolar stars, which was then incorporated into the cloud from which the Solar System condensed.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: literally, uncountable, usually
Examples
We are all made of stardust.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: extraterrestrial dust, space dust
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A distant cluster of stars resembling a cloud of dust, especially if the individual stars of which cannot be resolved with a telescope.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dated, informal, literally, uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
Small fragments in the Earth's atmosphere or on its surface originating from meteorites; meteor dust.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, literally, uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
Something imaginary or lacking substance.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
An imaginary magic dust or powder that, when in one's eyes, supposedly causes one to view a person or thing favourably, even though this might not actually be warranted.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, uncountable, usually
Examples
My sister’s eyes were full of stardust – she’d spend hours lazily planning her future life when she would make her big break in the movies.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
An imaginary magic dust or powder supposedly able to give one charisma or other positive qualities; hence, charisma or glamour, especially that possessed by a celebrity.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
a dreamy romantic or sentimental quality
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: romanticism, romance
History
Etymology
From star + dust.
Across languages
Translations
33 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Chinese Mandarin:
宇宙塵 /宇宙尘
(yǔzhòuchén)
— small fragments of dust-like material found in space
Dutch:
sterrenstof
— small fragments of dust-like material found in space
Finnish:
aikapöly
— small fragments of dust-like material found in space
Finnish:
avaruuspöly
— small fragments of dust-like material found in space
French:
poussière cosmique
— small fragments of dust-like material found in space
Galician:
po de estrelas
— small fragments of dust-like material found in space
German:
kosmischer Staub
— small fragments of dust-like material found in space
Hindi:
खगोलीय धूल
(khagolīya dhūl)
— small fragments of dust-like material found in space
Icelandic:
stjörnuryk
— small fragments of dust-like material found in space
Japanese:
宇宙塵
(uchūjin)
— small fragments of dust-like material found in space
Korean:
우주진
(ujujin)
— small fragments of dust-like material found in space
Latvian:
kosmiskie putekļi
— small fragments of dust-like material found in space
Norwegian Bokmål:
stjernestøv
— small fragments of dust-like material found in space
Norwegian Nynorsk:
stjernestøv
— small fragments of dust-like material found in space
Russian:
косми́ческая пыль
(kosmíčeskaja pylʹ)
— small fragments of dust-like material found in space
Russian:
межзвёздная пыль
(mežzvjózdnaja pylʹ)
— small fragments of dust-like material found in space
Russian:
рома́нтика
(romántika)
— small fragments of dust-like material found in space
Tagalog:
mayawing alabok
— small fragments of dust-like material found in space
Chinese Mandarin:
星塵 /星尘
(xīngchén)
— distant cluster of stars resembling a cloud of dust
Finnish:
tähtisumu
— distant cluster of stars resembling a cloud of dust
French:
amas stellaire
— distant cluster of stars resembling a cloud of dust
French:
poussière d'étoiles
— distant cluster of stars resembling a cloud of dust
German:
Sternenstaub
— distant cluster of stars resembling a cloud of dust
Japanese:
星屑
(hoshikuzu)
— distant cluster of stars resembling a cloud of dust
Japanese:
スターダスト
(sutādasuto)
— distant cluster of stars resembling a cloud of dust
Polish:
gwiezdny pył
— distant cluster of stars resembling a cloud of dust
Russian:
звёздная пыль
(zvjózdnaja pylʹ)
— distant cluster of stars resembling a cloud of dust
Finnish:
meteoriittipöly
— small fragments in the Earth's atmosphere or on its surface originating from meteorites
Finnish:
tähtipöly
— small fragments in the Earth's atmosphere or on its surface originating from meteorites
Finnish:
tähtipöly
— something imaginary or lacking substance
Finnish:
hölynpöly
— something imaginary or lacking substance
Finnish:
tähtipöly
— imaginary magic dust or powder that, when in one’s eyes, supposedly causes one to view a person or thing favourably, even though this might not actually be warranted
Finnish:
tähtipöly
— imaginary magic dust or powder supposedly able to give one charisma or other positive qualities