melodrama

noun
UK: /ˈmel.ə.drɑː.mə/
US: /ˈmel.ə.drɑː.mə/

  1. A story, play, or film in which events are exaggerated in order to create a strong emotional reaction.

    1. The play was a total melodrama.
    2. The film descends into melodrama in its final scenes, losing its initial subtlety.

  2. Behavior or events that are very exaggerated and not sincere.

    1. Stop with the melodrama and tell me what happened.
    2. Her over-the-top reaction was pure melodrama, completely unnecessary for the situation.

Synonyms

exaggeration histrionics theatrics
melodrama verb

  1. To present something in an exaggeratedly emotional or theatrical way.

    1. Don't melodrama everything you do.
    2. She tends to melodrama her problems, making them seem much worse than they are.
melodrama adjective

  1. Relating to or characteristic of melodrama; exaggerated and emotional.

    1. It was a melodrama scene.
    2. The melodrama acting detracted from an otherwise compelling storyline and narrative.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "melodrama" in English means: A story, play, or film in which events are exaggerated in order to create a strong emotional reaction., Behavior or events that are very exaggerated and not sincere..

The phonetic transcription of "melodrama" is /ˈmel.ə.drɑː.mə/ in British English and /ˈmel.ə.drɑː.mə/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "melodrama": exaggeration, histrionics, theatrics.

Example usage of "melodrama": "The play was a total melodrama.". More examples on the page.