prima donna

[ pree-muh don-uh, prim-uh; Italian pree-mah dawn-nah ]

noun

, plural pri·ma don·nas, Italian pri·me don·ne [pree, -me , dawn, -ne].

1. a first or principal female singer of an opera company.
2. a temperamental person; a person who takes adulation and privileged treatment as a right and reacts with petulance to criticism or inconvenience.

prima donna

/ ˈpriːmə ˈdɒnə /

noun

1. a female operatic star; diva
2. informal.
   a temperamental person

prima donna

1. A vain and overly sensitive person who is temperamental and difficult to work with: “That Jenkins girl is a good gymnast, but she certainly is a prima donna.” In opera , the prima donna is the principal female soloist. From Italian, meaning “first lady.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of prima donna¹

First recorded in 1760–70; from Italian: literally, “first lady”; prime, duenna

Word History and Origins

Origin of prima donna¹

C19: from Italian: first lady

Example Sentences

But Knight, Larraín, and Jolie are all careful to avoid reducing Callas to an over-the-top ableist stereotype or portraying her as the ruthless prima donna tigress the media painted her as.

From Salon

Celebrities acting like prima donnas toward restaurant personnel isn’t anything new.

From Los Angeles Times

Conservative commentator Piers Morgan wrote: “It’s hard to imagine an American sporting team that’s made the country feel less proud than this bunch of ‘activist’ prima donnas.”

From Washington Times

The original diva, which means "goddess" in Latin, referred to opera's leading ladies, or prima donnas.

From BBC

Eidinger, an expert prima donna, brings out the tragic absurdity of men who blindly follow orders.

From New York Times

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