histrionics

[ his-tree-on-iks ]
See synonyms for histrionics on Thesaurus.com
noun(used with a singular or plural verb)
  1. dramatic representation; theatricals; acting.

  2. behavior or speech for effect, as insincere or exaggerated expression of an emotion; dramatics; operatics: Cut out the histrionics—we know you're not really mad.

Origin of histrionics

1
First recorded in 1860–65; see origin at histrionic, -ics

Words that may be confused with histrionics

Words Nearby histrionics

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use histrionics in a sentence

  • He would wish to know what it was supposed to be, like Nash's histrionics.

    The Tragic Muse | Henry James
  • Mary continued without giving much attention to these histrionics.

    Within the Law | Marvin Dana
  • At such times she astonished him by taking his most solemn histrionics with flippant incredulity, and even burlesquing them.

    The March Family Trilogy, Complete | William Dean Howells
  • He saw the humour of the comedy he was acting, and dispassionately approved himself, because he did not give way to histrionics.

    The Hero | William Somerset Maugham
  • Are you about to turn actor, and do you trust to her for instruction in histrionics?