soap opera
noun
1
a
: a serial drama performed originally on a daytime radio or television program and chiefly characterized by tangled interpersonal situations and melodramatic or sentimental treatment
b
: a series of real-life events resembling a soap opera
2
: the melodrama and sentimentality characteristic of a soap opera
even cops need a little soap opera in their lives—
Joseph Wambaugh
Joseph Wambaugh
also
: something (such as a novel) having such qualities
Synonyms
Examples of soap opera in a Sentence
She loves to watch daytime soap operas.
the movie started out well, but quickly devolved into improbable soap opera
Recent Examples on the Web
Marla Adams, the Emmy-winning soap opera veteran who starred as the scheming Dina Abbott Mergeron during parts of five decades on The Young and the Restless, has died.
—Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Apr. 2024
The former soap opera star died on April 11 after a battle with cancer, her family announced Sunday.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2024
The soap opera vet turned beauty entrepreneur/supermodel apparently had a blast as Grand Marshal for the annual LGBTQ+ festival’s parade.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2024
Jennifer Leak, soap opera star and Yours, Mine and Ours (1968) actress, died on March 18 at her home in Jupiter, Fla., reports The East Hampton Star.
—Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 29 Mar. 2024
The commercial networks were hesitant to preempt their game shows and soap operas to present the hearings.
—Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
As the daytime slots on CBS evolve, PEOPLE previously reported the network is considering a new daytime soap opera.
—Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024
Characters and storylines lampoon big-money prime-time soap operas from an earlier era with dramatic developments involving affairs, double-crossing characters and big secrets.
—Common Sense Media, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024
Instead, this film has the garish lighting, cloying score, and nonsensical plot of a soap opera, without any of the suspense.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 26 Mar. 2024
Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Apr. 2024
The former soap opera star died on April 11 after a battle with cancer, her family announced Sunday.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2024
The soap opera vet turned beauty entrepreneur/supermodel apparently had a blast as Grand Marshal for the annual LGBTQ+ festival’s parade.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2024
Jennifer Leak, soap opera star and Yours, Mine and Ours (1968) actress, died on March 18 at her home in Jupiter, Fla., reports The East Hampton Star.
—Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 29 Mar. 2024
The commercial networks were hesitant to preempt their game shows and soap operas to present the hearings.
—Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
As the daytime slots on CBS evolve, PEOPLE previously reported the network is considering a new daytime soap opera.
—Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024
Characters and storylines lampoon big-money prime-time soap operas from an earlier era with dramatic developments involving affairs, double-crossing characters and big secrets.
—Common Sense Media, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024
Instead, this film has the garish lighting, cloying score, and nonsensical plot of a soap opera, without any of the suspense.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 26 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'soap opera.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Soap opera.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soap%20opera. Accessed 1 May. 2024.
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