diva

noun

di·​va ˈdē-və 

plural divas or dive ˈdē-(ˌ)vā 

1

a

music : prima donna sense 1

b

: prima donna sense 2

… if a team asks me to play somewhere else, I'm not going to be a diva about it.

—Ettore Lattanzio

2

: a usually glamorous and successful female performer or personality (see personality sense 4b)

a fashion diva

especially : a popular female singer

pop divas

The original diva and Queen Of Soul, Aretha Franklin, appears to have brought US President Barack Obama to tears (and then to his feet) with a stellar performance of (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman …

—Tom Williams

Synonyms of diva

• queen
• princess

Examples of diva in a Sentence

the reigning diva of daytime television

Recent Examples on the Web

Channeling mid-2010s Adele, Boyle styled the velour suit with a luxurious faux fur coat, brown shoes, and diva-esque black sunglasses. —Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 29 May 2026

Monroe isn’t the only diva on Bonhams’ books. —Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 28 May 2026

Look back at a lifetime of her outfits designed by the renowned costumer Bob Mackie, who first met the pop diva in 1967. —Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 21 May 2026

So away from the stage, gun in hand, flesh bared before her for inking, what does this darkwave diva click play on? —Matt Thompson, SPIN, 12 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Italian, literally, goddess, from Latin, feminine of divus divine, god — more at deity

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for diva

• iva
• shiva
• viva
• gingiva
• oliva
• yeshiva

Kids Definition

diva

noun

di·​va ˈdē-və 

plural divas or dive -ˌvā 

1

a

: PRIMA DONNA sense 1

b

: PRIMA DONNA sense 2

2

: a usually glamorous and successful female performer or celebrity

a fashion diva

especially : a popular female singer

pop divas

Etymology

from Italian diva "goddess," from Latin diva (same meaning)