Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for histrionic

histrionic

[ his-tree-on-ik ]

adjective

  1. of or relating to actors or acting.
  2. deliberately affected or self-consciously emotional; overly dramatic, in behavior or speech.


noun

  1. an actor.

histrionic

/ ˌhɪstrɪˈɒnɪk /

adjective

  1. excessively dramatic, insincere, or artificial

    histrionic gestures

  2. rare.
    dramatic


noun

  1. plural melodramatic displays of temperament
  2. rare.
    plural, functioning as singular dramatics

Discover More

Derived Forms

  • ˌhistriˈonically, adverb

Discover More

Other Words From

  • histri·oni·cal·ly adverb
  • nonhis·tri·onic adjective
  • nonhis·tri·oni·cal adjective
  • nonhis·tri·oni·cal·ly adverb
  • nonhis·tri·oni·cal·ness noun
  • unhis·tri·onic adjective

Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of histrionic1

1640–50; < Late Latin histrōnicus of actors, equivalent to histriōn- (stem of histriō ) actor (said to be < Etruscan ) + -icus -ic

Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of histrionic1

C17: from Late Latin histriōnicus of a player, from histriō actor

Discover More

Example Sentences

The moral duties and doubts of adulthood are swapped out for the histrionic creeds of adolescence.

Silver Linings Playbook allowed her to explode, playing a woman unhinged, histrionic, and emotionally volatile.

Wall Street Journal editorial-page writer Dorothy Rabinowitz recorded a histrionic anti-bike video that went viral.

Such miscues mired the show in histrionic soapiness, upsetting the delicate balance between domestic drama and social change.

In fact, The Newsroom seems to relish putting loud women in their place or to render them helpless and histrionic.

This rare merit even the most fastidious critic must allow: but her histrionic essay is, in another respect, equally remarkable.

She has inherited the histrionic gift from her mother—from me.

Histrionic art always and everywhere suffers from the ephemeral conditions under which it has to be externalised.

In the midst of her histrionic triumphs, Mlle. Clairon continued her career of gallantry.

Here she trained a number of aspirants to histrionic fame, several of whom were destined to make their mark in years to come.

Advertisement

Word of the Day

petrichor

[pet-ri-kawr]

Meaning and examples

Start each day with the Word of the Day in your inbox!

By clicking "Sign Up", you are accepting Dictionary.com Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policies.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


histotomehistrionic personality disorder