dramatic

adjective

dra·​mat·​ic drə-ˈma-tik 

1

literature : of or relating to drama

a dramatic actor

… has earned three Oscar nominations for his dramatic roles …

—Nellie Andreeva

… offers an outstanding vocal and dramatic performance …

—Alison Norton

2

a

: suitable to or characteristic of drama (as in being very exciting or moving)

a dramatic story

a dramatic attempt to escape

a dramatic comeback

b

: sudden and extreme

a dramatic increase/decrease in sales

a dramatic improvement

The changes have had a dramatic impact.

c

: striking in appearance or effect

The speaker made a dramatic pause before the big announcement.

… made a dramatic entrance … in a larger-than-life princess ballgown that encompassed the red carpet.

—Alyssa Morin

d

: having or showing a tendency to behave or react in an exaggerated way

a dramatic sigh

'This is the most beautiful place in the world,' I gasped. 'You're so dramatic, Jessica,' he said, laughing.

—Jessica Fox

I started to think, "What if people aren't interested in me, or us, by the end of this pandemic? What am I going to do for the rest of my life?" I don't know why I thought like that. Now that I think about it, I'm so dramatic.

—Roseanne Chaeyoung Park

3

of an opera singer : having a powerful voice and a declamatory style compare lyric

dramatically

drə-ˈma-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• histrionic
• melodramatic
• operatic
• stagy
• stagey
• theatrical
• theatric

Choose the Right Synonym for dramatic

dramatic, theatrical, histrionic, melodramatic mean having a character or an effect like that of acted plays.

dramatic applies to situations in life and literature that stir the imagination and emotions deeply.

a dramatic meeting of world leaders

theatrical implies a crude appeal through artificiality or exaggeration in gesture or vocal expression.

a theatrical oration

histrionic applies to tones, gestures, and motions and suggests a deliberate affectation or staginess.

a histrionic show of grief

melodramatic suggests an exaggerated emotionalism or an inappropriate theatricalism.

made a melodramatic plea

Examples of dramatic in a Sentence

His parents noticed a dramatic change in his behavior.

There was a dramatic increase in prices.

The book tells the dramatic story of her battle with cancer.

She made a dramatic entrance wearing a bright red dress.

There was a dramatic pause before his big announcement.

The painter used dramatic colors.

They are members of the local dramatic society.

Recent Examples on the Web

Thanks to prolific scoring, dramatic comebacks and breakout players, Leverkusen has gone 43 games unbeaten in all competitions this season and has now won its first trophy since 1993. —Ben Morse, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024

Ranadive, who resides in Atherton, sold his minority share in the Golden State Warriors last decade to become majority owner of the Kings, keeping the NBA franchise in Sacramento after the previous owners had tried to facilitate a relocation to Seattle or even, for a few dramatic days, to Virginia. —Shomik Mukherjee, The Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2024

Tehran had ordered the attack in response to Israel’s dramatic assassination of Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior commander in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, earlier this month, in Damascus. —Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2024

The film is helmed by a character played by Robert Downey Jr., who also plays nearly every white role on the show in a series of dramatic transformations. —Selome Hailu, Variety, 14 Apr. 2024

All three games are scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m. The Phoenix Suns (48-33) can finish no lower than seventh in the West following Friday’s dramatic 108-107 victory over the Kings. —Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 13 Apr. 2024

Taylor Wilson: And, Marco, for those who hadn't kept up, how did OJ spend the decades since this chase and dramatic trial? —Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024

An amendment that would have required officials to obtain a warrant before searching Americans' communications in the 702 database failed in a dramatic tie vote before the bill came up for final passage. —CBS News, 12 Apr. 2024

For many interviewed for this story, Miami was an important precursor to Los Angeles, a dramatic demonstration of what was possible. —Steve Appleford, Rolling Stone, 1 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see drama

First Known Use

1589, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing dramatic

• amateur dramatic
• dramatic monologue
• dramatic irony
• dramatic unities

Kids Definition

dramatic

adjective

dra·​mat·​ic drə-ˈmat-ik 

1

: of or relating to drama

a dramatic actor

2

a

: suitable to or resembling that of drama

a dramatic escape

b

: attracting attention

made a dramatic entrance

dramatically

-ˈmat-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb