drama queen

American

noun

Informal. a person who often has exaggerated or overly emotional reactions to events or situations.

You're such a drama queen! You always have to have all the attention.

drama queen British

noun

informal a person who tends to react to every situation in an overdramatic or exaggerated manner

"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

Etymology

Origin of drama queen

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"I felt like I was a drama queen," she said.

From BBC • Mar. 5, 2023

Like a drama queen writing her will, New York is perpetually and loudly dying.

From New York Times • Dec. 31, 2022

“Some people use the phrase drama queen as a negative,” Jay quipped early in the telecast to pivot the show to the supporting drama categories.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 12, 2022

“She said that I was a drama queen from when I was a child,” Johnson says, then laughing adds: “I don’t agree.”

From Seattle Times • Feb. 28, 2022

Why does Nadine always have to be such a drama queen?

From "The Cinderella Ballet Mystery: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #4" by Carolyn Keene

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023