dramatize

verb

dra·​ma·​tize ˈdra-mə-ˌtīz  ˈdrä- 

dramatized; dramatizing

transitive verb

1

: to adapt (something, such as a novel) for theatrical presentation

2

: to present or represent in a dramatic manner

intransitive verb

1

: to be suitable for dramatization

2

: to behave dramatically

dramatizable

ˈdra-mə-ˌtī-zə-bəl 

ˈdrä-

adjective

Examples of dramatize in a Sentence

The movie dramatizes her early life.

The book is dramatized in a new play.

I know I tend to dramatize things but it really was awful.

She cited a series of statistics to dramatize the seriousness of the problem.

This tragedy dramatizes the need for improvements in highway safety.

Recent Examples on the Web

The latest effort from idiosyncratic director Gus Van Sant dramatizes a bizarre true story about a 1977 hostage situation where a man named Tony Kistis held a mortgage broker at gunpoint with a shotgun wired to his neck. —K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 22 May 2026

The basic themes of Hearst’s life and the novels that dramatize it remain distressingly relevant. —Literary Hub, 21 May 2026

Broussard's brutal murder and betrayal by her close friend has since been dramatized in the Lifetime movie Stolen Baby, which came to Netflix in May 2026. —Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 20 May 2026

The seemingly limitless budgets and bottomless demand for content of the streaming television era have allowed studios to dramatize both long-ago and recent disasters. —David Faris, TheWeek, 14 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

dramat-, stem in derivation of drama + -ize

First Known Use

1762, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for dramatize

• advertise
• aggrandize
• alibis
• alkalies
• alkalis
• amortize
• amplifies
• analyse
• analyze
• anywise
• authorize
• butterflies

Kids Definition

dramatize

verb

dram·​a·​tize

ˈdram-ə-ˌtīz, 

ˈdräm-

1

: to make into a drama

2

: to present or represent in a dramatic manner

dramatization

ˌdram-ət-ə-ˈzā-shən, 

ˌdräm-

noun