primadonna
5 synonyms for primadonna, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A person who behaves as though they are more important than everyone else, demanding special treatment and sulking when they do not get it.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. noun informal, disapproving
A person who behaves as though they are more important than everyone else, demanding special treatment and sulking when they do not get it.
“He's a talented striker but a complete primadonna in the dressing room.”
2. noun
The leading female singer in an opera company or production.
“She sang as prima donna at La Scala for a decade.”
How to use primadonna
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
The insult sense is the everyday one and is always negative. The two-word spelling prima donna is preferred in formal writing and for the opera sense.
Etymology
From Italian prima donna, literally "first lady", the term for the leading female singer in an opera company.
Full origin of primadonna →