melodrama

noun

melo·​dra·​ma ˈme-lə-ˌdrä-mə How to pronounce melodrama (audio)
-ˌdra-
1
a
: a work (such as a movie or play) characterized by extravagant theatricality and by the predominance of plot and physical action over characterization
an actor with a flair for melodrama
b
: the genre (see genre sense 1) of dramatic literature constituted by such works
2
: something resembling a melodrama especially in having a sensational or theatrical quality
The trial turned into a melodrama.
melodramatist noun

Examples of melodrama in a Sentence

Critics dismissed his work as melodrama. an actor with a talent for melodrama She is starring in another melodrama. The trial turned into a melodrama. a life full of melodrama
Recent Examples on the Web Both with a strong influence of melodrama and very strong female characters. Ed Meza, Variety, 4 Mar. 2024 The cast surrounding Mary speaks in the elevated tone of melodrama: Tony Macht bright and eager as Abe’s assistant, Simon; Bianca Leigh draggy and affectedly prim as Mary’s chaperone, Louise. Joshua Barone, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024 Linked by religious evangelism, war, corruption, suicide, abandonment, and serial murder, the cast — which includes a host of young Hollywood heavy hitters — makes the most of the story's melodrama and dark subject matter. EW.com, 18 Jan. 2024 In the psychological family melodrama Brothers, Gyllenhaal plays Tommy, an ex-con who takes care of his sister-in-law Grace (Natalie Portman) after his brother Sam (Tobey Maguire) goes missing in action in Afghanistan. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 29 Feb. 2024 Photo: Courtesy Everett Collection Romance blossoms unexpectedly on the rocky beaches of 19th-century Lyme Regis in Francis Lee’s gentle melodrama following a curmudgeonly paleontologist (Kate Winslet) and a fragile young woman recovering from a recent tragedy (Saoirse Ronan). Radhika Seth, Vogue, 22 Feb. 2024 Perhaps the most brilliant idea embedded in White Girl in Danger is that the way out of the loopy national melodrama will necessarily rely on humor. Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2024 But where Akerman pursued ever bolder applications of this style, Wenders—with a pop-cultural bent—popularized it into a strain of modern melodrama, mixing a trendy chill of alienation with a bittersweet twist of nostalgia. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2024 The feudal warring over unclaimed Jutland territory may be strictly Danish, but the excitement, romance, and awe-inspiring visual spectacle of this melodrama is vintage Hollywood. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 1 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'melodrama.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

modification of French mélodrame, from Greek melos song + French drame drama, from Late Latin drama

First Known Use

1802, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of melodrama was in 1802

Dictionary Entries Near melodrama

Cite this Entry

“Melodrama.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/melodrama. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

melodrama

noun
melo·​dra·​ma ˈmel-ə-ˌdräm-ə How to pronounce melodrama (audio)
-ˌdram-
1
a
: a work (as a movie or play) marked by the exaggerated emotions of the characters and the importance of action and plot
b
: such works as a group
2
: melodramatic events or behavior
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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