histrionic

[ his-tree-on-ik ]

/ ˌhɪs triˈɒn ɪk /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR histrionic ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective Also his·tri·on·i·cal.

of or relating to actors or acting.

deliberately affected or self-consciously emotional; overly dramatic, in behavior or speech.

noun

an actor.

RELATED WORDS

melodramatic, theatrical, thespian

Nearby words

Origin of histrionic

1640–50; < Late Latin histrōnicus of actors, equivalent to histriōn- (stem of histriō) actor (said to be < Etruscan) + -icus -ic

Related forms

his·tri·on·i·cal·ly, adverbnon·his·tri·on·ic, adjectivenon·his·tri·on·i·cal, adjectivenon·his·tri·on·i·cal·ly, adverb

non·his·tri·on·i·cal·ness, nounun·his·tri·on·ic, adjective

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

Examples from the Web for histrionic

The moral duties and doubts of adulthood are swapped out for the histrionic creeds of adolescence.
Two New Films Preach Our Nation’s Corrosive Gridiron Gospel|Steve Almond|September 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Silver Linings Playbook allowed her to explode, playing a woman unhinged, histrionic, and emotionally volatile.
How Jennifer Lawrence Took Over Hollywood. (It’s Not Just Because of Her Charm.)|Kevin Fallon|December 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Wall Street Journal editorial-page writer Dorothy Rabinowitz recorded a histrionic anti-bike video that went viral.
Why Conservatives Should Love Bike Share|Daniel Gross|June 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Such miscues mired the show in histrionic soapiness, upsetting the delicate balance between domestic drama and social change.
‘Downton Abbey’ Season 3 Review: A Return to Form|Jace Lacob|January 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST

In fact, The Newsroom seems to relish putting loud women in their place or to render them helpless and histrionic.
HBO’s ‘The Newsroom’: Aaron Sorkin’s Woman Problem|Jace Lacob, Maureen Ryan|July 2, 2012|DAILY BEAST
It is a study of the histrionic temperament, and full of the major miseries and petty triumphs of stage life.
Egoists|James Huneker
Of course this was entirely on the histrionic side, but it gives an idea of the preparation one needs.
Vocal Mastery|Harriette Brower
I don't know how long I watched; how long all the immortal flame in me lent itself to the histrionic purposes of that woman.
The Best Short Stories of 1921 and the Yearbook of the American Short Story|Various
Histrionic art always and everywhere suffers from the ephemeral conditions under which it has to be externalised.
The Memoirs of Count Carlo Gozzi; Volume the first|Count Carlo Gozzi
"To bow gracefully to the inevitable is strong evidence of the histrionic gift," he said.
One Man's View|Leonard Merrick

British Dictionary definitions for histrionic

histrionic

histrionical

/ (ˌhɪstrɪˈɒnɪk) /

adjective

excessively dramatic, insincere, or artificialhistrionic gestures

rare dramatic

noun

(plural) melodramatic displays of temperament

rare (plural, functioning as singular) dramatics

Derived Formshistrionically, adverb

Word Origin for histrionic

C17: from Late Latin histriōnicus of a player, from histriō actor

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 histrionic

histrionic

adj.

"theatrical" (figuratively, "hypocritical"), 1640s, from Latin histrionicus "pertaining to an actor," from histrio (genitive histrionis) "actor," said to be of Etruscan origin. The literal sense in English is from 1759.