histrionic

American  

[his-tree-on-ik] / ˌhɪs triˈɒn ɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to actors or acting.

2. deliberately affected or self-consciously emotional; overly dramatic, in behavior or speech.

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noun

1. an actor.

histrionic British  

/ ˌhɪstrɪˈɒnɪk /

adjective

1. excessively dramatic, insincere, or artificial

   histrionic gestures

2. rare dramatic

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noun

1. (plural) melodramatic displays of temperament

2. rare (plural, functioning as singular) dramatics

Other Word Forms

• histrionically adverb
• nonhistrionic adjective
• nonhistrionical adjective
• nonhistrionically adverb
• nonhistrionicalness noun
• unhistrionic adjective

Etymology

Origin of histrionic

1640–50; < Late Latin histrōnicus of actors, equivalent to histriōn- (stem of histriō ) actor (said to be < Etruscan ) + -icus -ic

Example Sentences

Also elusive is the source of Kayleen’s growing emotional distress, which Ms. Young conveys with an admirable absence of histrionics.

From The Wall Street Journal

Worrying about rate cuts seems histrionic, and arguably irrelevant, since corporate earnings are strong.

From Barron's

Worrying about rate cuts seems histrionic, and arguably irrelevant, since corporate earnings are strong.

From Barron's

Bondi probably wowed him with her snotty tone and histrionics, even as her wit left much to be desired.

From Salon

But Walcott feels Pickford has changed as he has grown older and reduced the histrionics that used to be his trademark.

From BBC

Related Words

• flamboyant
• frenzied
• histrionical
• maudlin
• mawkish
• overemotional
• overwrought
• sensational
• sentimental
• stagy