histrionic

his·tri·on·ic

adj \ˌhis-trē-ˈä-nik\

Definition of HISTRIONIC

1

: deliberately affected : theatrical

2

: of or relating to actors, acting, or the theater

— his·tri·on·i·cal·ly \-ni-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

Examples of HISTRIONIC

1. <a penchant for dish throwing, door slamming, and other histrionic displays of temper>
2. <we never tired of his histrionic reenactment of how he found money under the floorboards of a house he was renovating>

Origin of HISTRIONIC

Late Latin histrionicus, from Latin histrion-, histrio actor

First Known Use: 1648

Related to HISTRIONIC

Synonyms: dramatic, hammy, theatrical, melodramatic, stagy (or stagey)

Antonyms: undramatic

Related Words: actorish, actorly, actressy; overacted, overdone, sensational, staged; conspicuous, elaborate, flamboyant, grandiose, ostentatious, showy; affected, artificial, exaggerated, mannered, pretentious, self-conscious, studied, unnatural

Near Antonyms: nondramatic, nontheatrical, unaffected, underplayed, unpretentious; muted, restrained, subdued, toned (down); conservative, discreet, inconspicuous; modest, plain, quiet, simple

see all synonyms and antonyms

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See Synonym Discussion at dramatic

Other Performing Arts Terms

diva, dramaturgy, loge, prestidigitation, proscenium, supernumerary, zany

Rhymes with HISTRIONIC

catatonic, cosmogonic, diachronic, diatonic, disharmonic, electronic, embryonic, epigonic, hegemonic, homophonic, Housatonic, hypersonic, infrasonic, inharmonic, isotonic, macaronic, megaphonic, microphonic, monophonic, monotonic, nonionic, nucleonic, pentatonic, pharaonic, philharmonic, plate-tectonic, polyphonic, quadraphonic, semitonic, skeletonic, Solomonic, supersonic, supertonic, telephonic, thermionic, ultrasonic