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.
"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
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
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
I stuff my mouth with pretzels and listen to the soap opera tales of Jon and Maxine.
From "Piecing Me Together" by Renée Watson
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.
