dramatize

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

See more synonyms for dramatize on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), dram·a·tized, dram·a·tiz·ing.

to put into a form suitable for acting on a stage.
to express or represent vividly, emotionally, or strikingly: He dramatizes his woes with sobs and sighs.

verb (used without object), dram·a·tized, dram·a·tiz·ing.

to express oneself in a dramatic or exaggerated way.

Also especially British, dram·a·tise.

Origin of dramatize

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

Related formsdram·a·tiz·a·ble, adjectivedram·a·tiz·er, nouno·ver·dram·a·tize, verb, o·ver·dram·a·tized, o·ver·dram·a·tiz·ing.un·dram·a·tiz·a·ble, adjectiveun·dram·a·tized, adjectivewell-dram·a·tized, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for dramatize

Contemporary Examples

The American Apparel adverts are deemed tacky and offensive because they dramatize, brazenly, the sex-drenched time we live in.
In Defense of American Apparel: Why a Hitched-Up Skirt Barely Conceals a Profound Social Confusion
Tim Teeman
August 8, 2014
It's difficult to imagine anyone better equipped to dramatize these questions than the show's creators.
‘The Leftovers’ Review: A Fever Dream You Can’t Wake Up From
Andrew Romano
June 29, 2014
Because it's too cautious to dramatize real problems and too reductive to tackle them realistically.
Generic and Superficial ‘Tyrant’ Amerisplains the Middle East
Andrew Romano
June 25, 2014
Fosse uses poetic dialogue, with rhythmic repetitions and silences, to dramatize life and loneliness.
Nobel Literature Prize Favorites for Dummies, According to the Bookies
Jimmy So
October 9, 2013
Drutman goes on the dramatize this elite in a number of ways and to slice and dice the data similarly.
The 1 Percent of the 1 Percent
Michael Tomasky
June 24, 2013

Historical Examples

Choose some one for each of the parts and dramatize the story.
The Later Cave-Men
Katharine Elizabeth Dopp
Dramatize this lesson, and then draw a picture of the part you like the best.
The Later Cave-Men
Katharine Elizabeth Dopp
Really to pasture on our recollections we ought to dramatize them.
The Short Works of George Meredith
George Meredith
Oh, that we had had but time to try even to dramatize it ourselves.
A Jar of Honey from Mount Hybla
Leigh Hunt
Arden, who was the most interesting writer of the three, was inclined to dramatize.
The Orchard Secret
Cleo Garis

British Dictionary definitions for dramatize

dramatize

dramatise

verb

(tr) to put into dramatic form
to express or represent (something) in a dramatic or exaggerated wayhe dramatizes his illness

Derived Formsdramatizable or dramatisable, adjectivedramatizer or dramatiser, noun

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 dramatize

v.

1780s, "to adopt for the stage," see drama (Greek stem dramat-) + -ize. Meaning "to act out" is from 1823. Related: Dramatized; dramatizing.

dramatize

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}dramatize

Examples from the Web for dramatize

Contemporary Examples

The American Apparel adverts are deemed tacky and offensive because they dramatize, brazenly, the sex-drenched time we live in.

It's difficult to imagine anyone better equipped to dramatize these questions than the show's creators.

Because it's too cautious to dramatize real problems and too reductive to tackle them realistically.

Fosse uses poetic dialogue, with rhythmic repetitions and silences, to dramatize life and loneliness.

Drutman goes on the dramatize this elite in a number of ways and to slice and dice the data similarly.

Historical Examples

Choose some one for each of the parts and dramatize the story.

Dramatize this lesson, and then draw a picture of the part you like the best.

Really to pasture on our recollections we ought to dramatize them.

Oh, that we had had but time to try even to dramatize it ourselves.

Arden, who was the most interesting writer of the three, was inclined to dramatize.

dramatize

dramatise

Word Origin and History for dramatize

v.

Origin of dramatize