melodrama
English · Español · Deutsch · Thesaurus
AI In plain words
Writing a short explanation…
Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
melodrama
- /ˈmɛləˌdɹɑːmə/
Where it comes from
From French mélodrame, the second element refashioned by analogy with drama; ultimately from Ancient Greek μέλος (mélos, “limb”, “member”, “song”, “tune”, “melody”) + δρᾶμα (drâma, “deed”, “theatrical act”). Compare melodrame. Cognate to German Melodram and Spanish melodrama.
noun melodramas · melodramata
- A kind of drama having a musical accompaniment to intensify the effect of certain scenes.
- A drama abounding in romantic sentiment and agonizing situations, with a musical accompaniment only in parts which are especially thrilling or pathetic.
- A passage in which the orchestra plays a somewhat descriptive accompaniment, while the actor speaks. The grave-digging scene in Beethoven's “Fidelio” has much melodrama.
- Any situation or action which is blown out of proportion.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: tragedy, drama, transpontine, soap, sensationalism, exaggeration, overdramatization, dramatics, theatrics, histrionics, pathos, bathos, emotionalism, sentimentality, tearjerker, staginess
Translations
Every language
noun romantic drama
| Español | melodrama |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 멜로드라마 mellodeurama, 멜로 mello |
| 日本語 | メロドラマ merodorama, メロ mero |
| 中文 | 情節劇 /情节剧 qíngjiéjù |
| हिन्दी | नाटक nāṭak |
| Português | melodrama |
| Français | mélodrame |
| Deutsch | Melodrama |
| Italiano | melodramma |
| Ελληνικά | μελόδραμα melódrama |
| Română | melodramă |
| Русский | мелодра́ма melodráma |
| العربية | مِيلُودْرَامَا miludrāmā |
| עברית | מלודרמה |
Talk about this word "melodrama." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/melodrama. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. melodrama. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/melodrama "melodrama." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/melodrama.Cite this
@misc{melodrama_2026,
title = {melodrama},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/melodrama},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
