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

• corn
• sludge

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

Moving on, however, becomes a problem when a mysterious unseen force traps and forces them to relive past traumas together in this supernatural soap opera. —Brian Truitt, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025

Anne’s television credits also included recurring roles on the soap opera All My Children and appearing as Mary Brady, mom to Steve (David Eigenberg) on Sex and the City. —Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025

What’s the difference between a good soap opera and a bad soap opera? —Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 22 Oct. 2025

The ceremony honors the best in daytime television — from talk shows like The View and The Drew Barrymore Show, to soap operas such as The Young and the Restless and General Hospital, to courtroom programs like Divorce Court and Judy Justice. —Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Oct. 2025

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