theatrics
Americannoun
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(used with a singular verb) the art of staging plays and other stage performances.
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(used with a plural verb) exaggerated, artificial, or histrionic mannerisms, actions, or words.
noun
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the art of staging plays
-
exaggerated mannerisms or displays of emotions
Etymology
Origin of theatrics
1800–10; theatr(ic) ( def. ) + -ics
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 was mindful not to tip into villainous theatrics during layered interactions opposite Danes.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
PSG became the team with the fewest yellow cards in Europe's top leagues as players stopped arguing with referees, stopped indulging in theatrics and embraced a disciplined, unified approach.
From BBC • May 29, 2026
My husband and I burst out laughing – not at that scene, or the clerk’s impromptu theatrics, but at this injection of delight into an otherwise mundane errand.
From Salon • May 2, 2026
He’s bringing his social platform to the stage with “Are You Afraid of the ’90s?” — a 90-minute, one-man musical/stand-up that melds his recaps with original songs and theatrics.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2026
And in recent years, Anthony had been overshadowed by Victoria Woodhull’s headline-stealing theatrics.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
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.
