histrionic
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to actors or acting.
-
deliberately affected or self-consciously emotional; overly dramatic, in behavior or speech.
noun
adjective
-
excessively dramatic, insincere, or artificial
histrionic gestures
-
rare dramatic
noun
-
(plural) melodramatic displays of temperament
-
rare (plural, functioning as singular) dramatics
Other Word Forms
- histrionically adverb
- nonhistrionic adjective
- nonhistrionical adjective
- nonhistrionically adverb
- nonhistrionicalness noun
- unhistrionic adjective
Etymology
Origin of histrionic
1640–50; < Late Latin histrōnicus of actors, equivalent to histriōn- (stem of histriō ) actor (said to be < Etruscan ) + -icus -ic
Explanation
Anything that has to do with actors or acting can be called histrionic, like a Broadway actor's histrionic voice projection that would sound strange in everyday life but is perfect for the stage. The adjective histrionic, pronounced "his-tree-ON-ic," comes from the Latin words histrionicus and histrio which mean “actor.” It can describe things that have to do with acting on the stage, but it can also describe a person who in regular life is a little too dramatic and even over-acts, like your friend whose histrionic rantings make a trip to the grocery store seem like a matter of life and death.
Vocabulary lists containing histrionic
The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 8
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Into the Wild
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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.
But even by the standards of histrionic soccer outrage, their reaction was extreme.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026
It was malleable and oblong, perfectly complemented by a waft of boy-next-door blond locks and a brow that could convey emotion just as well as any histrionic soap dialogue.
From Salon • Feb. 15, 2026
Worrying about rate cuts seems histrionic, and arguably irrelevant, since corporate earnings are strong.
From Barron's • Nov. 19, 2025
Based on Muriel Spark’s indelible novel, the film was a perfect vehicle for Smith’s histrionic charm and seductive wizardry.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 27, 2024
Not that I, even in my more histrionic moments, imagine that I am a member of that oppressed working class.
From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich
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.
