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

One even has a Princess Donut tattoo, an ode to Dinniman’s feline diva character. —Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 9 May 2026

Deciding to create a performance inspired by the true diva was a reverant nod to Houston’s ties to the New York Liberty, which go way back to another major milestone for the team and the WNBA. —Audrey Noble, Vogue, 9 May 2026

And that performer winds up being Lady Gaga, who is a bit of a diva in this film. —Matt Donnelly, Variety, 3 May 2026

Stribing was equal parts humble, low key and polite — not at all in keeping with the image of a diva wide receiver. —Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 25 Apr. 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)