adj
melodramatic
mehl-uh-druh-MAT-ihk
Melodramatic (adj) means Exaggeratedly emotional or theatrical, especially about something that doesn't warrant it. Example: “Stop being so melodramatic — it's just a scratch.”
adj
1
Exaggeratedly emotional or theatrical, especially about something that doesn't warrant it.
"In it, the officer insisted he did not depart from NCND and gave a melodramatic account of my "long pauses" as I said I needed the story, before I eventually became cooperative and said I had "seen the light"."
— Daniel De Simone, How MI5 piled falsehood on falsehood in court in the case of a spy who abused women (2025)
"Stop being so melodramatic — it's just a scratch."
"The speech was melodramatic, full of grand gestures and sighs."
"She wrote him a melodramatic letter, threatening to kill herself."
How to use melodramatic
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishOver-the-top emotional, in a theatrical or exaggerated way.
Common pairings
melodramatic reaction
a melodramatic tone
don't be so melodramatic
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like melodramatic.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Comparative
- more melodramatic
- Superlative
- most melodramatic
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Stop being so _____ — it's just a scratch.
Etymology
Built from melodrama plus the suffix -tic, on the pattern of "dramatic."
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for melodramatic
See all rhymes for melodramatic →Frequently asked questions
What does “melodramatic” mean?
The word “melodramatic” means exaggeratedly emotional or theatrical, especially about something that doesn't warrant it. In plain terms, over-the-top emotional, in a theatrical or exaggerated way.
How do you pronounce “melodramatic”?
“Melodramatic” is pronounced mehl-uh-druh-MAT-ihk (/ˌmɛl.ə.dɹəˈmæt.ɪk/ in IPA).
How do you use “melodramatic” in a sentence?
Here is “melodramatic” used in a sentence: “Stop being so melodramatic — it's just a scratch.”
What part of speech is “melodramatic”?
“Melodramatic” is an adjective.
