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dramatic

[druh-mat-ik]
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adjective
  1. of or relating to the drama.
  2. employing the form or manner of the drama.
  3. characteristic of or appropriate to the drama, especially in involving conflict or contrast; vivid; moving: dramatic colors; a dramatic speech.
  4. highly effective; striking: The silence following his impassioned speech was dramatic.
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Origin of dramatic

1580–90; < Late Latin drāmaticus < Greek drāmatikós, equivalent to drāmat- (stem of drâma) drama + -ikos -ic
Related formsdra·mat·i·cal·ly, adverbnon·dra·mat·ic, adjectivenon·dra·mat·i·cal·ly, adverbo·ver·dra·mat·ic, adjectiveo·ver·dra·mat·i·cal·ly, adverbpre·dra·mat·ic, adjectivepseu·do·dra·mat·ic, adjectivepseu·do·dra·mat·i·cal·ly, adverbqua·si-dra·mat·ic, adjectivequa·si-dra·mat·i·cal·ly, adverbsem·i·dra·mat·ic, adjectivesem·i·dra·mat·i·cal·ly, adverbun·dra·mat·ic, adjective

Synonyms

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1. theatrical. 4. startling, sensational.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

sensational, startling, breathtaking, thrilling, impressive, striking, tense, powerful, climactic, theatrical, melodramatic, sudden, tragic, emotional, comic, vivid, affecting, effective, expressive, farcical

Examples from the Web for dramatic

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • The circumstances were painful, but added a dramatic touch to the scene.

    The Grand Old Man

    Richard B. Cook

  • But his methods are not possessed in the main of dramatic respectability.

    The Dramatic Values in Plautus

    Wilton Wallace Blancke

  • The drama was cultivated by the Incas, and dramatic performances were enacted before them.

    Apu Ollantay

    Anonymous

  • The laws of the time gave no protection to musical and dramatic copyright.

    Handel

    Edward J. Dent

  • As if in dramatic accord with his words, the bells jangled loudly at the gate.

    Tiverton Tales

    Alice Brown

British Dictionary definitions for dramatic

dramatic

adjective
  1. of or relating to drama
  2. like a drama in suddenness, emotional impact, etc
  3. striking; effective
  4. acting or performed in a flamboyant way
  5. music (of a voice) powerful and marked by histrionic quality
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Derived Formsdramatically, adverb
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 dramatic

adj.

1580s, from Late Latin dramaticus, from Greek dramatikos "pertaining to plays," from drama (genitive dramatos; see drama). Meaning "full of action and striking display, fit for a drama" is from 1725. Dramatic irony is recorded from 1907. Related: Dramatical; dramatically.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper