dramatic

[ druh-mat-ik ]

/ drəˈmæt ɪk /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR dramatic ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

of or relating to the drama.

employing the form or manner of the drama.

characteristic of or appropriate to the drama, especially in involving conflict or contrast; vivid; moving: dramatic colors; a dramatic speech.

highly effective; striking: The silence following his impassioned speech was dramatic.

Nearby words

drama, drama queen, drama therapy, dramady, dramamine, dramatic, dramatic irony, dramatic monologue, dramatic unities, dramatics, dramatis personae

Origin of dramatic

1580–90; < Late Latin drāmaticus < Greek drāmatikós, equivalent to drāmat- (stem of drâma) drama + -ikos -ic

SYNONYMS FOR dramatic

1 theatrical.

4 startling, sensational.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR dramatic ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

dra·mat·i·cal·ly, adverbnon·dra·mat·ic, adjectivenon·dra·mat·i·cal·ly, adverbo·ver·dra·mat·ic, adjective

o·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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for dramatic

In the end, I find it never fails to modernize even the most dramatic things.
‘Empire’ Review: Hip-Hop Musical Chairs with an Insane Soap Opera Twist|Judnick Mayard|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It opens with Huckabee's dramatic recollection of going through security at the airport.
Huckabee 2016: Bend Over and Take It Like a Prisoner!|Olivia Nuzzi|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In a dramatic twist on mistletoe reproduction, their seeds explode, literally.
Mistletoe is the Vampire of Plants|Helen Thompson|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Yet even as the Germans wallowed in bitter self-pity, another defeated superpower underwent a dramatic turnaround.
The 20th-Century Dictator Most Idolized by Hitler|William O’Connor|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST

But these dramatic increases in spending and teachers have not yielded a notable change in overall student outcomes.
How a GOP Senate Can Help the Poor|Veronique de Rugy|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She was not exactly disappointed, although it robbed the crime of one of its most dramatic elements—ingratitude.
The Old Flute-Player|Edward Marshall and Charles T. Dazey
Dramatic instinct as applied to listening on the stage, and everywhere, is apt to be overlooked.
Browning and the Dramatic Monologue|S. S. Curry
A story which has in it so strong a dramatic element that it will attract readers of all ages and of either sex.
With the Swamp Fox|James Otis
Nevertheless, no other dramatic writer approaches Shakespeare so closely.
The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky|Modeste Tchaikovsky
To trace Maeterlinck's dramatic development is like watching a materialization at a sance.
Major Prophets of To-Day|Edwin E. Slosson

British Dictionary definitions for dramatic

dramatic

/ (drəˈmætɪk) /

adjective

of or relating to drama

like a drama in suddenness, emotional impact, etc

striking; effective

acting or performed in a flamboyant way

music (of a voice) powerful and marked by histrionic quality

Derived Forms

dramatically, 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