diva

[dee-vuh, -vah]

See more synonyms for diva on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural di·vas, di·ve

[dee-ve] /ˈdi vɛ/.

a distinguished female singer; prima donna.

Origin of diva

1880–85; < Italian < Latin dīva, feminine of dīvus god; cf. divine

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for diva

Contemporary Examples

People scream, the orchestra stops playing, and the stage manager whisks the diva into the wings.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days
David Freeman
December 13, 2014
“She not only won the biggest singing competition in the world, her song “Diva” became a trans anthem,” said Kallai.
Trans in the Holy Land: ‘Marzipan Flowers,’ Tal Kallai, and the Shattering of Israel’s LGBT Taboos
Itay Hod
November 4, 2014
Grande, who like Cyrus is 21, had been called a diva and was upset about it.
Ariana Grande, This Is How to Be a Diva
Tim Teeman
October 21, 2014
The problem is Grande has now painted herself into a bit of a nice-girl corner, which is a place no diva ever wants to be.
Ariana Grande, This Is How to Be a Diva
Tim Teeman
October 21, 2014
Yet the biggest change might be the curious disappearance of the diva, a type of singer who reigned supreme during the 1990s.
Mariah Carey Is the Last of the Traditional Divas
Phoebe Robinson
May 29, 2014

Historical Examples

"Well—and—" asked Salvani, breathlessly, as the diva paused.
The Son of Monte-Cristo, Volume I (of 2)
Alexandre Dumas pre
In his dull way he had learned that to pull the diva, one must agree with her.
The Place of Honeymoons
Harold MacGrath
“I shall give you her address,” interrupted the diva, hastily.
The Place of Honeymoons
Harold MacGrath
Diva rapidly recollected that the perfidious Elizabeth was among them.
Miss Mapp
Edward Frederic Benson
“You knew I was meaning to make a frock with chintz roses on it,” said Diva.
Miss Mapp
Edward Frederic Benson

British Dictionary definitions for diva

diva

noun plural -vas or -ve (-vɪ)

a highly distinguished female singer; prima donna

Word Origin

C19: via Italian from Latin: a goddess, from dīvus divine

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for diva

n.

"distinguished woman singer, prima donna," 1883, from Italian diva "goddess, fine lady," from Latin diva "goddess," fem. of divus "divine (one);" see divine (adj.).

diva

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}diva

Examples from the Web for diva

Contemporary Examples

People scream, the orchestra stops playing, and the stage manager whisks the diva into the wings.

“She not only won the biggest singing competition in the world, her song “Diva” became a trans anthem,” said Kallai.

Grande, who like Cyrus is 21, had been called a diva and was upset about it.

The problem is Grande has now painted herself into a bit of a nice-girl corner, which is a place no diva ever wants to be.

Yet the biggest change might be the curious disappearance of the diva, a type of singer who reigned supreme during the 1990s.

Historical Examples

"Well—and—" asked Salvani, breathlessly, as the diva paused.

In his dull way he had learned that to pull the diva, one must agree with her.

“I shall give you her address,” interrupted the diva, hastily.

Diva rapidly recollected that the perfidious Elizabeth was among them.

“You knew I was meaning to make a frock with chintz roses on it,” said Diva.

diva

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for diva

n.

Origin of diva