明星(みょうじょう)

みょうじょう
noun
morning or evening star; Venus; a rising star
formalnatureperson
1. morning star; evening star; Venus
The planet Venus seen shining brightly in the eastern sky before dawn or in the western sky after sunset.
明(あ)けの明星(みょうじょう)が輝(かがや)いている。
The morning star is shining.
夕方(ゆうがた)、西(にし)の空(そら)に宵(よい)の明星(みょうじょう)が見(み)えた。
At dusk, the evening star appeared in the western sky.
明(あ)けの明星(みょうじょう)とは、夜明(よあ)け前(まえ)の東(ひがし)の空(そら)に見(み)える金星(きんせい)のことだ。
The "morning star" is Venus as it appears in the eastern sky before dawn.
2. star; brilliant figure (in a field)
A person who shines in a particular field, especially a promising newcomer. Literary in tone.
文壇(ぶんだん)の明星(みょうじょう)。
A star of the literary world.
彼(かれ)は球界(きゅうかい)の明星(みょうじょう)と呼(よ)ばれた。
He was called a star of the baseball world.
若(わか)くして才能(さいのう)を認(みと)められ、彼女(かのじょ)は楽壇(がくだん)の明星(みょうじょう)として期待(きたい)を集(あつ)めた。
Recognized while still young, she drew great hopes as a rising star of the music world.

Common collocations

Register

Sense 1 survives mainly in the two set phrases above; in plain astronomy the planet is 金星(きんせい). Sense 2 is literary; everyday speech says スター.

Cultural note

『明星(みょうじょう)』 was also the title of the poetry magazine of 与謝野鉄幹(よさのてっかん) and 与謝野晶子(よさのあきこ) (1900–1908), a landmark of modern Japanese poetry.

general
Added 2026.10.12 4:24 · Revised 2026.10.12 4:27
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