histrionic
Americanadjective
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of or relating to actors or acting.
-
deliberately affected or self-consciously emotional; overly dramatic, in behavior or speech.
noun
adjective
-
excessively dramatic, insincere, or artificial
histrionic gestures
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rare dramatic
noun
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(plural) melodramatic displays of temperament
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rare (plural, functioning as singular) dramatics
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of histrionic
1640–50; < Late Latin histrōnicus of actors, equivalent to histriōn- (stem of histriō ) actor (said to be < Etruscan ) + -icus -ic
Explanation
Anything that has to do with actors or acting can be called histrionic, like a Broadway actor's histrionic voice projection that would sound strange in everyday life but is perfect for the stage. The adjective histrionic, pronounced "his-tree-ON-ic," comes from the Latin words histrionicus and histrio which mean “actor.” It can describe things that have to do with acting on the stage, but it can also describe a person who in regular life is a little too dramatic and even over-acts, like your friend whose histrionic rantings make a trip to the grocery store seem like a matter of life and death.
Vocabulary lists containing histrionic
The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 8
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Into the Wild
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Histrionic personality disorder, Dr Curry said, is linked with "drama and shallowness", and a need to be the centre of attention.
From BBC • Apr. 28, 2022
Histrionic personality disorder, Curry said, is associated with “drama and shallowness,” and a need to be the center of attention.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 26, 2022
However, I happened across a description of Histrionic Personality Disorder the other day, and was astonished at how perfectly it fits Lauren.
From Slate • Nov. 2, 2016
HPD: Histrionic personality disorder and highest posterior density: Both make these letters a great title for Kim Kardashian.
From Washington Post • Jan. 21, 2015
One of the great Histrionic Dynasty, Stephen Kemble, has lately amused the Town by his performance of Falstaff.
From Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 59, No. 364, February 1846 by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
