diva
Americannoun
plural
divas, divenoun
Etymology
Origin of diva
1880–85; < Italian < Latin dīva, feminine of dīvus god; cf. divine
Explanation
Technically, a diva is a big-time female opera star. Beverly Sills and Maria Callas were two of the world's most renowned divas. More commonly, though, we call anyone who thinks they're more fabulous than everyone else a diva. The word diva was a compliment, one reserved for only the greatest singers in the world. Lately, though, diva has come to describe someone that's acting entitled or holier than thou. A person who acts like the world revolves around her is a diva. If you walk into a packed restaurant and demand the best table snapping, "Don't you know who I am?", well, that's diva behavior.
Vocabulary lists containing diva
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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.
"I discovered that the vintage pieces that I wore went missing -- my costume that was pulled from my personal archives -- jacket, corset, dress and other garments," the diva wrote.
From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026
So the Sora video-generating app was canceled, and my guess is the Atlas browser—plus a mysterious hardware device by designer diva Jony Ive—may be the next to be killed.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026
The stress of the holidays can turn any one of us into a bit of a diva.
From Salon • Dec. 24, 2025
And in sequences in a film within the film alongside Jennifer Lopez, a consummate entertainer here, Tonatiuh transforms into a stylish, closeted man orbiting Lopez’s fictional screen diva Ingrid Luna.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 22, 2025
She lives up to her name with her diva hair and sunglasses at night.
From "American Street" by Ibi Zoboi
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.
