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.
Born in Dublin, Fricker began her acting career with parts in TV and the theatre, including Ireland's first soap opera Tolka Row in the 1960s, and ITV soap Coronation Street in 1977.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 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
“Because what is funnier than appearing in one soap opera? Appearing in two!” he said.
From Salon ● Jun. 30, 2026
It appears to be curtains again for “All My Children,” the soap opera that ran four decades on ABC before being canceled, then resurrected as an Internet series.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026
I tried to remember what soap opera heroines said to their lovers, but I couldn’t compare this boy in shorts and knee socks to the manly Ricardos and Armandos.
From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago
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.
