histrionic
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histrionic
- /hɪstɹiːˈɒnɪk/ UK
- /ˌhɪs.triˈɑ.nɪk/ US
Rhymes with -ɒnɪk
Where it comes from
Borrowed from Late Latin histriōnicus (“pertaining to acting; scurrilous, shameful; wretched”), from Latin histriōnicus (“pertaining to acting and the theatre”), from histriō (“actor, player”) + -icus (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’). By surface analysis, histrion + -ic.
adjective more histrionic · most histrionic · histrionick
-
Of or relating to actors or acting.
After three years of constant applause, Miss [Elizabeth] O'Neill directed her steps towards the summit of histrionick exertion, being engaged for the season of 1814 at Covent Garden, where she made her first entrée as Juliet, on the 6th of October, being at once recognised as the first Hibernian act
Similar: actorish, actressy, dramatic, theatrical
-
Excessively dramatic or emotional, especially with the intention to draw attention.
[F]oppiſh airs / And hiſtrionic mumm'ry, that let down / The pulpit to the level of the ſtage, / Drops from the lips a diſregarded thing.
Similar: hammy, melodramatic, overdramatic, sensationalized, stagy · Opposite: undramatic, understated, stoic
Translations
Every language
adj of or relating to actors or acting
| Español | histriónico |
|---|---|
| Português | histriónico, histriônico |
| Français | théâtral |
| Deutsch | Schauspiel-, schauspielerisch |
| Italiano | istrionesco, istrionico |
| Русский | актёрский aktjórskij, сцени́ческий sceníčeskij |
adj excessively dramatic or emotional
| Español | histriónico |
|---|---|
| Português | histriónico, histriônico |
| Français | histrionique |
| Deutsch | pathetisch, theatralisch |
| Русский | напы́щенный napýščennyj, неесте́ственный nejestéstvennyj, театра́льный teatrálʹnyj |
Talk about this word "histrionic." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/histrionic. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. histrionic. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/histrionic "histrionic." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/histrionic.Cite this
@misc{histrionic_2026,
title = {histrionic},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/histrionic},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
