diva

American  

[dee-vuh, -vah] / ˈdi və, -vɑ /

noun

• divas,
  plural
• dive
  plural

1. 

   a distinguished female singer; prima donna.

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diva British  

/ ˈdiːvə /

noun

1. a highly distinguished female singer; prima donna

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• divas
  plural
• dive
  plural

Etymology

Origin of diva

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

Explanation

Technically, a diva is a big-time female opera star. Beverly Sills and Maria Callas were two of the world's most renowned divas. More commonly, though, we call anyone who thinks they're more fabulous than everyone else a diva. The word diva was a compliment, one reserved for only the greatest singers in the world. Lately, though, diva has come to describe someone that's acting entitled or holier than thou. A person who acts like the world revolves around her is a diva. If you walk into a packed restaurant and demand the best table snapping, "Don't you know who I am?", well, that's diva behavior.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

diva divas dive

While it would be terrific to liken her fate to that of Deborah Vance on “Hacks,” at least Jean Smart’s diva got a Vegas rebirth.

From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026

“Dolly has shaped much of my life as a drag artist,” Bandit wrote on Instagram, calling her a “queen who has changed the world with her love, artistry, and GLAM! my diva forever.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

Tyler's manager Matthew Davies spoke of the singer's humble personality, saying she was "always a star but never a diva".

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

The singer herself says that she is "immensely honoured" to be part of the Cesaria Evora Orchestra, which performs around the world to keep alive the music of the "barefoot diva" who died in 2011.

From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026

Like, if Taylor’s being a diva at a rehearsal, we don’t even have to look at each other.

From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli

Kemp said that, alongside Saturday's headliner Raye, the weekend's line-up had "spanned a generation of divas".

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

But not all of the artist’s works have a gourmet bent — she also creates celestial goddesses and nature-inspired divas, and made a series devoted to the Major Arcana of tarot.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 25, 2026

Here, she discusses the jazz warm-up she’s used for decades, dealing with stage fright and loving the divas she plays.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 17, 2025

The biggest night in music is just around the corner — and this year, the competition is stiff after a summer dominated by pop divas and male country stars.

From Salon ● Nov. 8, 2024

For me, performing-arts camp was six weeks stuck in a cabin with a bunch of eleven-year-old divas.

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

In this list, our writers recommend the best episodes that you can dive into right away—without having to commit to the whole series.

From Slate ● Oct. 9, 2026

That’s why people sell their stocks in a panic during a market correction and/or go heavy in gold, dive headfirst into bonds and cash vehicles instead, only to regret it later.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026

The dive and recovery subjected the aircraft to extreme speed and gravitational forces that snapped off part of its tail rudder.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026

The former Sale winger weaved inside, having collected fly-half Brett Connon's excellent cut-out pass, to dive over for the opener.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

She stops and stares as I close my eyes and dive headfirst into the hill of muck, hoping it'll keep me safe.

From "Born Behind Bars" by Padma Venkatraman