melodramatic

adjective

melo·​dra·​mat·​ic ˌme-lə-drə-ˈma-tik 

1

: of, relating to, or characteristic of melodrama

a luridly melodramatic script

2

: appealing to the emotions : sensational

the fund-raiser's desperate, melodramatic appeal for more donations

melodramatically

ˌme-lə-drə-ˈma-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• dramatic
• hammy
• histrionic
• stagy
• stagey
• theatrical
• theatric

Choose the Right Synonym for melodramatic

dramatic, theatrical, histrionic, melodramatic mean having a character or an effect like that of acted plays.

dramatic applies to situations in life and literature that stir the imagination and emotions deeply.

a dramatic meeting of world leaders

theatrical implies a crude appeal through artificiality or exaggeration in gesture or vocal expression.

a theatrical oration

histrionic applies to tones, gestures, and motions and suggests a deliberate affectation or staginess.

a histrionic show of grief

melodramatic suggests an exaggerated emotionalism or an inappropriate theatricalism.

made a melodramatic plea

Examples of melodramatic in a Sentence

Oh, quit being so melodramatic!

Recent Examples on the Web

But Walden isn’t a play made up of claws-out shouting and shattering, melodramatic reveals. —Sara Holdren, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024

But where Grapes is relentlessly symphonic and often melodramatic, Unknown—which was finally edited and released 20 years ago—is intimate and restrained, focusing acutely on the slow-motion erosion of the agrarian American dream in a pattern of exploitation that the Dust Bowl only intensified. —Mark Athitakis, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2024

Key among players’ worries was that the Amazon series would be a gritty, boilerplate crime drama bereft of the tonal dissonance fans have come to love from the game’s wacky, melodramatic soap opera. —Isaiah Colbert, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2024

Starring actress Brown pushes the emotion hard — to her performance’s melodramatic detriment at points — and kid actor Turnbull matches that energy. —Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1789, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

melodramatic

adjective

melo·​dra·​mat·​ic ˌmel-ə-drə-ˈmat-ik 

1

: of or relating to melodrama

2

: resembling or suitable for melodrama : sensational

melodramatically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb