soap opera

noun

Definition of soap opera

1a : 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 also : something (such as a novel) having such qualities

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Synonyms for soap opera

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 In what quickly and unexpectedly emerged as this offseason's predominant soap opera, Watson expressed his desire to leave Houston. — Nate Davis, USA TODAY, "Opinion: Record-setting quarterback turnover a strong possibility for 2021 NFL season," 18 Feb. 2021 Thomas Hardy's novel is a 19th-century soap opera, full of unlikely twists and turns. — Chris Hewitt, Star Tribune, "7 extraordinary Carey Mulligan performances that aren't about her 'hotness'," 17 Feb. 2021 There’s really no show quite like Ryan Murphy’s blend of soap opera, fashion show, and character drama about gender-nonconforming culture in New York in the mid-‘80s. — Brian Tallerico, Vulture, "The 100 Best TV Shows on Netflix Right Now," 1 Feb. 2021 The story is both pleasantly seamy and inconsequential, as pat and flimsy as a mad-science soap opera. — Richard Brody, The New Yorker, "A Lost Orson Welles TV Pilot That’s as Groundbreaking as “Citizen Kane”," 11 Dec. 2020 Its inaccessibility kept Jalapão obscure—until the debut of O Outro Lado do Paraíso (The Other Side of Paradise), a popular 2017 soap opera that set its characters’ love triangles and land disputes in the park. — Jamie Ditaranto, Travel, "The paradise in Brazil you don’t know—yet," 10 Dec. 2020 Events such as the NBA Draft, trading (which can begin Monday) and free agency, usually an entertaining summer soap opera, will be condensed into just a few weeks before training camps begin, likely in early December. — oregonlive, "NBA offseason calendar kicks into high gear this week with trading, draft and free agency," 16 Nov. 2020 For the idlers at the Fleur des Îles café, who were following the situation like a soap opera, Noelline was overdoing her big moment. — Andrea Lee, The New Yorker, "The Rivals," 28 Dec. 2020 Meanwhile, as is typical, the Jets have been a soap opera. — Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, "Sam Darnold returns to L.A. as part of baggage in Jets’ winless season," 19 Dec. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'soap opera.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.