Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Theatrical arts or performances.
  • noun Exaggerated emotional behavior calculated for effect.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The histrionic art; stageplaying; acting.
  • noun Insincere, exaggeratedly emotional or overly dramatical speech or behavior performed to create an impression rather than as an expression of true feeling; feigned emotion.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Exaggerated, overemotional behaviour, especially when calculated to elicit a response; melodramatics.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a performance of a play
  • noun a deliberate display of emotion for effect

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

See the etymology of histrionic.

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Examples

Comments

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  • cf kittens

    November 5, 2007

  • found in Merriam Webster's Dictionary pg 37

    November 15, 2010