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prima donna

American  
[pree-muh don-uh, prim-uh, pree-mah dawn-nah] / ˌpri mə ˈdɒn ə, ˌprɪm ə, ˈpri mɑ ˈdɔn nɑ /

noun

plural

prima donnas,

plural

prime donne

  1. a first or principal female singer of an opera company.

  2. a temperamental person; a person who takes adulation and privileged treatment as a right and reacts with petulance to criticism or inconvenience.

prima donna British  
/ ˈpriːmə ˈdɒnə /

noun

  1. a female operatic star; diva

  2. informal a temperamental person

"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
prima donna Cultural  

  1. A vain and overly sensitive person who is temperamental and difficult to work with: “That Jenkins girl is a good gymnast, but she certainly is a prima donna.” In opera, the prima donna is the principal female soloist. From Italian, meaning “first lady.”

Usage

What does prima donna mean? The literal meaning of prima donna is the lead or main female singer in an opera company. Prima donna is commonly used as a negative term for a person who’s extremely self-centered and temperamental.In this sense, a prima donna expects and demands constant praise and special treatment and is easily irritated when they don’t get it. Though the literal sense of prima donna refers only to women, its figurative sense can be applied to anyone. The plural of prima donna is prima donnas (though the plural of the Italian phrase is prime donne).Example: After the director had a fight with his lead actor, he accused him of being a selfish prima donna who was impossible to work with.

Etymology

Origin of prima donna

First recorded in 1760–70; from Italian: literally, “first lady”; prime, duenna

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.

Starring Vanessa Williams as the titular prima donna, the brilliantly named Ebony Scrooge, the film follows Ebony’s transformation from penny-pinching pop star to charitable altruist.

From Salon • Dec. 24, 2025

On the back of such stories, Andrews was given a slew of lionising monikers: "prima donna in pigtails," "infant prodigy of trills," "the miracle voice" and "Britain's juvenile coloratura."

From Salon • Oct. 10, 2022

Even the indoor swimming pool was made to look fit for a prima donna.

From New York Times • Sep. 27, 2022

Ahead of her debut in Broadway’s ‘Funny Girl,’ ‘Glee’ star Lea Michele discussed the allegations about her microaggressions and prima donna behavior.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 7, 2022

You really are a tiresome little prima donna.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

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.