melodramatic
Americanadjective
-
of, like, or befitting melodrama.
-
exaggerated and emotional or sentimental; sensational or sensationalized; overdramatic.
noun
Other Word Forms
- melodramatically adverb
- nonmelodramatic adjective
- nonmelodramatically adverb
- unmelodramatic adjective
- unmelodramatically adverb
Etymology
Origin of melodramatic
First recorded in 1810–20; melodrama + (drama)tic
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 Jude is more vinegary and direct about his concerns than he is melodramatic.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
Ms. Schilinski roams in and out of all the impressions and recollections, most of them stained by sadness and regret, without turning maudlin or melodramatic.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026
It’s a lofty goal, but it might not be very relevant, just like the absurd details of Kennedy’s melodramatic history.
From Salon • Nov. 29, 2025
He’s double-cast Luna and Tonatiuh as the film-within-a-film’s leads and changed the imaginary tale from a Nazi propaganda flick to a melodramatic but moving South American romance between a glamour queen and a noble photographer.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 9, 2025
“And my grandfather found out. In the most melodramatic way you can possibly imagine.”
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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.
