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View synonyms for

melodrama

[mel-uh-drah-muh, -dram-uh]

noun

  1. a dramatic form that does not observe the laws of cause and effect and that exaggerates emotion and emphasizes plot or action at the expense of characterization.

  2. melodramatic behavior or events.

  3. (in the 17th, 18th, and early 19th centuries) a romantic dramatic composition with music interspersed.



melodrama

/ ˈmɛləˌdrɑːmə, ˌmɛlədrəˈmætɪk, ˌmɛləˈdræmətɪst /

noun

  1. a play, film, etc, characterized by extravagant action and emotion

  2. (formerly) a romantic drama characterized by sensational incident, music, and song

  3. overdramatic emotion or behaviour

  4. a poem or part of a play or opera spoken to a musical accompaniment

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

melodrama

  1. A play or film in which the plot is often sensational and the characters may display exaggerated emotion.

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Other Word Forms

  • melodramatist noun
  • minimelodrama noun
  • ˌǻˈپ plural noun
  • ˌǻˈپ adverb
  • melodramatic adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of melodrama1

1800–10; < French éǻ, equivalent to é- (< Greek éDz song) + drame drama
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Word History and Origins

Origin of melodrama1

C19: from French éǻ, from Greek melos song + drame drama
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

As a spoof of melodrama, it is sprightly, crisply executed and untaxingly entertaining.

From

Is there a specific fragment of his soul where all that beautiful melodrama stems from?

From

The Thanksgiving episodes are shocking and absurd, packed with scathing one-liner digs and soapy melodrama; feasts so good that you can’t help but come back for more.

From

If ever there were a case to be made that a director, armed with a thorough understanding of human nature and the talent to express it, can transform lurid melodrama into high art, then G.W.

From

But instead of worrying about giving the audience too much of a good thing with a sequel, Feig plops another heaping scoop of melodrama onto the viewer’s plate.

From

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