histrionic

histrionic

 
adjective|hiss-tree-AH-nik
 
What It Means
 
Histrionic is a word used disapprovingly to describe someone or something that is too emotional or dramatic.
 
// The head chef had a penchant for dish throwing, door slamming, and other histrionic displays of temper whenever a dish was sent back to the kitchen.

histrionic
adjective
his·;tri·;on·;ic ;hi-str;-;;-nik
Synonyms of histrionic
1
: deliberately affected : overly dramatic or emotional : theatrical
histrionic gestures
a tendency to become histrionic
2
: of or relating to actors, acting, or the theater
seeking histrionic perfection
histrionically
;hi-str;-;;-ni-k(;-)l;
 adverb


Did you know?
If you’re already familiar with the history of histrionic, take a bow. But if you’re still waiting (in the wings or elsewhere) to learn, we’ve got you covered. The adjective histrionic traces back to the Latin noun histrio, meaning “actor.” Something described as histrionic tends to recall the high drama of stage and screen, and especially the theatrical form known as melodrama, where characters have very strong or exaggerated emotions. But something that is histrionic isn’t always overdone; histrionic is also used (though less frequently) simply to describe something related to acting or the theater, as in “histrionic talent/skills.” Note that the noun histrionics refers to either theatrical performances, or, more commonly, to a deliberate display of emotion for effect, as in “parents used to the child’s histrionics.”

Synonyms
theatrical
theatric
dramatic
Choose the Right Synonym for histrionic

dramatic, theatrical, histrionic, melodramatic mean having a character or an effect like that of acted plays.

dramatic applies to situations in life and literature that stir the imagination and emotions deeply.

a dramatic meeting of world leaders
theatrical implies a crude appeal through artificiality or exaggeration in gesture or vocal expression.

a theatrical oration
histrionic applies to tones, gestures, and motions and suggests a deliberate affectation or staginess.

a histrionic show of grief
melodramatic suggests an exaggerated emotionalism or an inappropriate theatricalism.

made a melodramatic plea
Examples of histrionic in a Sentence
a penchant for dish throwing, door slamming, and other histrionic displays of temper
we never tired of his histrionic reenactment of how he found money under the floorboards of a house he was renovating
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As bills were called up for debate, members lined up to ask questions about them, and the questions were often laden with histrionic and hyperbolic language.
—John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
Populated by unhinged men and masochistic women, and punctuated by fiery, increasingly histrionic set pieces, Smoke fails to reconcile its mood of noirish nihilism with its efforts at social commentary.
—Judy Berman, Time, 27 June 2025
—Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 1 May 2025
Real Women takes a more tender, less histrionic approach.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2025

Word History
Etymology
Late Latin histrionicus, from Latin histrion-, histrio actor

First Known Use
1648, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of histrionic was in 1648
See more words from the same year