melodramatic
Americanadjective
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of, like, or befitting melodrama.
-
exaggerated and emotional or sentimental; sensational or sensationalized; overdramatic.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of melodramatic
First recorded in 1810–20; melodrama + (drama)tic
Explanation
If you're writhing on the floor, howling in pain over the splinter in your finger, you're being a tad melodramatic, that is, exaggerated, affected, or histrionic. This term was first used in early-19th-century theater, as the adjective form of the noun melodrama, which is a performance piece featuring exaggerated characters with emotional appeal. Outside the theater, melodramatic behavior is also characterized by a kind of performance or exaggeration of emotions, but it's very rarely appreciated or awarded extra points for artistic merit. The common phrase "Quit being so melodramatic!" is a terse way of pointing out to someone that they are overreacting.
Vocabulary lists containing melodramatic
100 SAT Words Beginning with "M"
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ACT Reading Test: Words to Capture Tone, List 5
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Tone and Point of View, List 4
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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.
The seven love songs feature melodramatic storylines, and though the album has a strong dance feel, it defies category and remains a cult classic.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 15, 2026
If “Pressure” is any indicator, we might be in a new era when what Ike dubbed the Crusade in Europe will be reimagined as melodramatic schlock.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
For as melodramatic as the movie can be, its conflict is founded on something as simple as lingering pain; a grudge that has since grown softer and easier to live with, though no less agonizing.
From Salon • Apr. 24, 2026
"Chimpanzees are sort of melodramatic," he said, explaining that following arguments there would ordinarily be "screaming and chasing" and then later, they would grooming and co-operating.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
“Ada, what’s it matter? We’ve just been going out for a couple of weeks. Quit being so serious,” I joked, in an attempt to distract from my own melodramatic ways.
From "Where Things Come Back" by John Corey Whaley
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
