melodrama
noun
a dramatic form that does not observe the laws of cause and effect and that exaggerates emotion and emphasizes plot or action at the expense of characterization.
melodramas
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pluralof melodrama.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Maddie’s Secret” isn’t much of a secret, not if you remember those made-for-TV malady movies that turned subjects like bulimia into hypnotic melodramas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026
These tropes course through in Alex Haley’s “Roots” TV miniseries and Oscar-nominated melodramas like “Glory” and “Amistad,” as well as acclaimed 21st-century films like “Django Unchained” and “12 Years a Slave.”
From Salon ● Jun. 19, 2026
Market participants have come to assume they will come out of these recurring melodramas intact.
From Barron's ● Jan. 24, 2026
Many things happen, never for too long; all kinds of maladies, medications and melodramas are involved.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 6, 2026
From the look of it, one of her favorite Israeli melodramas.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
