Melodrama

Noun

 * 1)  A kind of drama having a musical accompaniment to intensify the effect of certain scenes (archaic).
 * 2)  A drama abounding in romantic sentiment and agonizing situations, with a musical accompaniment only in parts which are especially thrilling or pathetic. In opera, a passage in which the orchestra plays a somewhat descriptive accompaniment, while the actor speaks; as, the melodrama in the grave digging scene of Beethoven's "Fidelio".
 * 3)  Any situation or action which is blown out of proportion.

Adjectives for Melodrama
virtuous; cheap; sentimental; exciting; underdone; celebrated; morbid; bloodcurdling.

Verbs for Melodrama
applaud—; climax—; compose—; descend to—; dress in—; engage in—; formulize—; hiss—; impassion—; introduce—; lean toward—; overrate—; pattern—on; rehearse —; revive—; ridicule—; sink into—; — appeals; —bores; —exaggerates; —inspires; —intrigues; —lags; —thrives; —thrills; — touches.

Thesaurus
Grand Guignol, Passion play, Tom show, antimasque, audience success, ballet, blood and thunder, bomb, broadcast drama, burlesque show, charade, cliff hanger, closet drama, comedy drama, critical success, daytime serial, demonstrativeness, dialogue, documentary drama, drama, dramalogue, dramatic play, dramatic series, duodrama, duologue, emotional appeal, emotionalism, emotionality, emotionalization, emotionalizing, emotiveness, emotivity, epic theater, experimental theater, extravaganza, failure, flop, gasser, giveaway, happening, histrionics, hit, hit show, human interest, improvisational drama, legitimate drama, love interest, making scenes, masque, melodramatics, minstrel show, miracle, miracle play, monodrama, monologue, morality, morality play, music drama, musical revue, mystery, mystery play, nonrationalness, opera, pageant, panel show, pantomime, pastoral, pastoral drama, piece, play, playlet, problem play, psychodrama, quiz show, radio drama, review, revue, sensational play, sensationalism, serial, show, sitcom, situation comedy, sketch, skit, soap, soap opera, sociodrama, spectacle, stage play, stage show, straight drama, success, suspense drama, tableau, tableau vivant, talk show, teleplay, television drama, television play, theater of cruelty, theatricality, theatrics, total theater, unreasoningness, variety show, vaudeville, vaudeville show, vehicle, visceralness, word-of-mouth success, work, yellow journalism

Translations

 * Finnish:
 * French: mélodrame
 * German:
 * Greek: μελόδραμα


 * Romanian: melodramă
 * Spanish:
 * Turkish: melodram

Derived terms

 * melodramatic
 * melodramatics
 * melodramatist
 * melodramatize