melodrama
noun
melo·dra·ma
ˈme-lə-ˌdrä-mə 
-ˌdra-
1
a
: a work (such as a movie or play) characterized by extravagant theatricality and by the predominance of plot and physical action over characterization
an actor with a flair for melodrama
b
: the genre (see genre sense 1) of dramatic literature constituted by such works
2
: something resembling a melodrama especially in having a sensational or theatrical quality
The trial turned into a melodrama.
Examples of melodrama in a Sentence
Critics dismissed his work as melodrama.
an actor with a talent for melodrama
She is starring in another melodrama.
The trial turned into a melodrama.
a life full of melodrama
Recent Examples on the Web
Wuthering Heights was always envisioned as a kind of fantastical fever dream—a contemporary take on a ’50s soundstage melodrama that gleefully mixes historical references with glitzy modernity.
—
Radhika Seth, Vogue, 10 Jan. 2026
In American terms, the women’s films, the melodramas, were where you were allowed to explore a lot of psychological complexity.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 9 Jan. 2026
This is how Lionsgate pitched Anniversary to audiences, as the sort of handwringing domestic melodrama that’s familiar enough to be comfortable and, for certain demographics, totally dismissable.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Jan. 2026
Devoid of music or melodrama, this is slow cinema at its most viscerally rigorous and patient.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for melodrama
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Cite this Entry
“Melodrama.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/melodrama. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
Kids Definition
melodrama
noun
melo·dra·ma
ˈmel-ə-ˌdräm-ə
-ˌdram-
1
a
: a work (as a movie or play) marked by the exaggerated emotions of the characters and the importance of action and plot
b
: such works as a group
2
: melodramatic events or behavior
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