telenovela

[ tel-uh-noh-vel-uh ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

(in Latin America and Hispanic communities) a television soap opera, usually having a limited number of episodes.

First recorded in 1960–65; from Spanish, equivalent to tele- tele- ¹( def ) + novela “novel, serial drama”; novel ¹( def )

The love scene was just a sex dream—explaining a bit why it was so over the top, like an R-rated telenovela.

Her thwarted escape from Rio was the stuff of a bad telenovela.

The press is eager to cover the soap opera, and the public seems eager to engage in the real-life telenovela.

One D.C. wag compares the whole tawdry mess to a steamy telenovela, and even casts the key roles.

Forget reality TV; this entire saga has the makings of a great telenovela.

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