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

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

soap-operatic

ˈsōp-ˌä-pə-ˈra-tik 

adjective

Synonyms of soap opera

• sludge
• corn

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

This occurred in 2014 in South Africa, when the cast of the popular television soap opera Generations refused to go on set over a contractual dispute. —Shepherd Mpofu, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026

The star began her acting career in 1970 with her television debut on the soap opera Dark Shadows. —Caroline Killilea, PEOPLE, 26 Apr. 2026

Push the show’s direction just a bit further and this soap opera could easily slip into parody, at least in several scenes. —Frank Rizzo, Variety, 23 Apr. 2026

Throughout the years, the first round of the NFL Draft has transformed from reading name cards in a hotel conference room to one of the most dramatic four-hour-long soap operas in sports. —Pj Green april 20, Kansas City Star, 20 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

from its sponsorship by soap manufacturers

First Known Use

1938, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

soap opera

noun

: a radio or television drama presented in a series of continuing stories and characters and intended to appeal to the emotions

Etymology

so called because the advertisers on these programs were usually soap manufacturers