soap opera

American  

[op-er-uh, op-ruh] / ˈɒp ər ə, ˈɒp rə /

noun

1. a radio or television series depicting the interconnected lives of many characters often in a sentimental, melodramatic way.

---

soap opera British  

noun

1. a serialized drama, usually dealing with domestic themes and characterized by sentimentality, broadcast on radio or television

---

soap opera Idioms  

1. 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.

2. 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]

---

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

Goodrem, who is known to UK TV fans for her role in the Australian soap opera Neighbours, is one of the biggest-selling female artists in her home country.

From BBC • May 14, 2026

As the characters in this soap opera have taken the stand, Brockman’s diary has emerged as a star witness.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026

After a charming monologue in which she also sang, Rodrigo played a scheming woman in a “Dynasty”-like nighttime soap opera from the 1980s, “Edge of Destiny,” where people kept falling down the stairs.

From Los Angeles Times • May 3, 2026

"This is a tech soap opera that all investors will be watching," Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said in a note to investors.

From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026

While she was in labor, she was watching The Young and the Restless, and so she named me Ashley after one of the soap opera characters.

From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter

Related Words

• melodrama
• serial
• soap