theatrics
Americannoun
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(used with a singular verb) the art of staging plays and other stage performances.
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(used with a plural verb) exaggerated, artificial, or histrionic mannerisms, actions, or words.
noun
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the art of staging plays
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exaggerated mannerisms or displays of emotions
Etymology
Origin of theatrics
1800–10; theatr(ic) ( def. ) + -ics
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.
He was mindful not to tip into villainous theatrics during layered interactions opposite Danes.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
My husband and I burst out laughing – not at that scene, or the clerk’s impromptu theatrics, but at this injection of delight into an otherwise mundane errand.
From Salon • May 2, 2026
The costumes, witty banter and theatrics of the wrestling ring influenced his consistent look and even allowed the name “Fluffy” to become his calling card.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026
To Ms. Noonan, awarding honors in the chamber is vulgar theatrics.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026
And that’s how I felt about our dreadful boardinghouse, the wretched meals we were served, and the aggravating theatrics of miserly Mrs. Wigginbottom.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
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.
