dramatize

especially British, dram·a·tise

[dram-uh-tahyz, drah-muh-]

verb (used with object)

dramatized, dramatizing 

1. to put into a form suitable for acting on a stage.

2. to express or represent vividly, emotionally, or strikingly.

   He dramatizes his woes with sobs and sighs.

verb (used without object)

dramatized, dramatizing 

1. to express oneself in a dramatic or exaggerated way.

dramatize

/ ˈdræməˌtaɪz /

verb

1. (tr) to put into dramatic form

2. to express or represent (something) in a dramatic or exaggerated way

   he dramatizes his illness

Other Word Forms

• dramatizable adjective
• dramatizer noun
• overdramatize verb
• undramatizable adjective
• undramatized adjective
• well-dramatized adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of dramatize¹

1770–80; < Greek drāmat- ( dramatic ) + -ize

Example Sentences

It is a fine line since law ads can dramatize, but they are not allowed to promise results or payouts.

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“I write about things that have happened, and I, in a way, dramatize them by putting music to it.”

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Masad, a regular contributor to The Times, probes the mysteries of outer space in dramatizing the first alien abduction story.

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“We’ll be back to the days of ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,’” Berg said, referring to the 1962 novel and subsequent movie dramatizing oppressive conditions in mental health institutions.

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But the case took on legendary status, being dramatized in the play and film “Inherit the Wind,” and despite Scopes’ conviction, coming to be seen as a significant victory for science.

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Related Words

• amplify 
• exaggerate 
• overstate