soap opera
Americannoun
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.
“Because what is funnier than appearing in one soap opera? Appearing in two!” he said.
From Salon • Jun. 30, 2026
“General Hospital,” which airs weekdays on ABC and streams on Hulu, is in its 64th year and stands as the longest-running American soap opera currently in production.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 29, 2026
Firstly, diminishing returns have kicked in - how much more capacity among the public is there really for jaw dropping revelation about the Lord Mandelson soap opera?
From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026
"Musk was creating noise around this lawsuit but ultimately it was more of a soap opera than a long-term negative for OpenAI," he added.
From Barron's • May 18, 2026
As if this period was suddenly the new episode of a soap opera, and the long-thought-dead evil twin had just sauntered back into town.
From "Far from the Tree" by Robin Benway
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.
