Chekhovian

American  

[che-koh-vee-uhn, -kaw-fee-, -kof-ee-, chek-aw-fee-uhn, -of-ee-] / tʃɛˈkoʊ vi ən, -ˈkɔ fi-, -ˈkɒf i-, ˈtʃɛk ɔ fi ən, -ɒf i- /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Anton Chekhov or his writings, especially as they are evocative of a mood of introspection and frustration.

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Etymology

Origin of Chekhovian

First recorded in 1920–25; Chekhov + -ian

Example Sentences

The play is remarkable in its structure, which builds tension with Chekhovian grace and ferocity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026

No one is holding a vehicle like “Joan” to Chekhovian standards.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 6, 2024

It’s a long work, nearly three hours, written in the Chekhovian realistic tradition and crammed with novelistic details that can’t be fully assimilated in one sitting.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 10, 2024

Even so, this exquisitely knowing, distinctly Chekhovian play about lies and illusions handed down as history still has the power to grab us.

From New York Times • Jan. 24, 2024

His Chekhovian mots and those little traits that astonish us by their neatness and appositeness, he often took direct from life.

From Reminiscences of Anton Chekhov by Bunin, I. A.