prima donna

[pree-muh don-uh, prim-uh, pree-mah dawn-nah]

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

/ ˈpriːmə ˈdɒnə /

noun

1. a female operatic star; diva

2. informal,  a temperamental person

prima donna

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.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of prima donna¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of prima donna¹

C19: from Italian: first lady

Related Words

• crybaby 

When To Use

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.