melodrama
Plural: melodramas, melodramata
Noun
- an extravagant comedy in which action is more salient than characterization
- A kind of drama having a musical accompaniment to intensify the effect of certain scenes.
- A drama abounding in romantic sentiment and agonizing situations, with a musical accompaniment only in parts which are especially thrilling or pathetic.
- A passage in which the orchestra plays a somewhat descriptive accompaniment, while the actor speaks.
- Any situation or action which is blown out of proportion.
Examples
- The grave-digging scene in Beethoven's “Fidelio” has much melodrama.
Origin / Etymology
From French mélodrame, the second element refashioned by analogy with drama; ultimately from Ancient Greek μέλος (mélos, “limb”, “member”, “song”, “tune”, “melody”) + δρᾶμα (drâma, “deed”, “theatrical act”). Compare melodrame. Cognate to German Melodram and Spanish melodrama.
Scrabble Score: 14
melodrama: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Wordmelodrama: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
melodrama: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary
Words With Friends Score: 17
melodrama: valid Words With Friends Word