soap opera
Americannoun
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soap operas
plural
noun
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A radio or television serial with stock characters in domestic dramas that are noted for being sentimental and melodramatic. For example, She just watches soap operas all day long . This term originated in the mid-1930s and was so called because the sponsors of the earliest such radio shows were often soap manufacturers.
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Real-life situation resembling one that might occur in a soap opera, as in She just goes on and on about her various medical and family problems, one long soap opera . [1940s]
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of soap opera
An Americanism dating back to 1935–40; so called because soap manufacturers were among the original sponsors of such programs
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.
A few years later, she was a regular on a soap opera, channeling her darkest fears into tears that would have adults heaping praise upon her.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Some seek to dismiss the journalistic intrigue as to who might get which roles as soap opera – but it matters because the people selected shape the outlook, style and tone of a government.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
Lasser, put off by the soap opera nature of the show, turned down the role five times.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
The other contenders for best drama include Keri Russell's political soap opera "The Diplomat," spy series "Slow Horses" and "Game of Thrones" prequel "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms."
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
People think it’s such a hard read, but it’s really just a soap opera with lots of characters, people falling in love, fighting for love, dying for love.
From "Wonder" by R. J. Palacio
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.
