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Synonyms

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

"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
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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

No soap opera can beat the Bible when it comes to mess.

From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026

No soap opera can beat the Bible when it comes to mess.

From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026

A Chicago native, Runyon made her television debut as Sally Frame in the long-running soap opera “Another World.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2026

Still, bickering over a voided hockey season arguably makes for a healthier relationship than whatever is going on in the soap opera otherwise known as Norwegian biathlon.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026

And then—and then—beyond the noise of the soap opera and his own sobs, Matt heard a voice calling.

From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer

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.