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]
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.
He explained how he filmed some early episodes of the cult comedy in 2006 before landing the soap opera role in 2007, and later found himself working on both between London and Wales.
From BBC • May 30, 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
A spinoff-sequel to Taylor Sheridan’s saddle-sore soap opera “Yellowstone,” the series has had plenty of advance word, of the no-publicity-is-bad-publicity variety.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 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
It sounds farfetched, but like a roast forsaken in the oven or a rescheduled dental appointment, childbirth is one of those minor details that tends to slip the minds of most soap opera characters.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
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.
