Dramatic — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /drə-ˈma-tik/ dra·mat·ic

Meaning & Definition of Dramatic

Dramatic (adjective)

  1. of or relating to drama
  2. suitable to or characteristic of drama (as in being very exciting or moving)
  3. sudden and extreme

Dramatic (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. having the general quality or effect of a stage performance

    "the basketball player's dramatic announcement of his sudden retirement held everybody spellbound"

    similar: histrionic, melodramatic, operatic, stagy, theatrical
    related: affected, emotional, emotionalistic, sensational, actorish, actorly, actressy, dramaturgic, ham, hammy, amazing, astonishing, astounding, awesome, exciting, eye-opening, fabulous, marvelous, spectacular, surprising, wonderful, wondrous, overdramatic
    opposite: undramatic
    near: matter-of-fact, monotonous, uneventful, unexciting, uninspiring, unnewsworthy, unrewarding, unsensational, unspectacular, common, commonplace, ordinary, stale, unexceptional

  2. given to or marked by attention-getting behavior suggestive of stage acting

    "oh, don't be so dramatic, and just tell us, without the pregnant pauses, what happened"

    similar: hammy, histrionic, melodramatic, stagy, theatrical
    related: actorish, actorly, actressy, overacted, overdone, sensational, staged, conspicuous, elaborate, flamboyant, grandiose, ostentatious, showy, affected, artificial, exaggerated, mannered, pretentious, self-conscious, studied, unnatural
    opposite: undramatic
    near: nondramatic, nontheatrical, unaffected, underplayed, unpretentious, muted, restrained, subdued, toned (down), conservative, discreet, inconspicuous, modest, plain, quiet, simple

  3. likely to attract attention

    "a dramatic drop in the temperature overnight"

    similar: arresting, bodacious, bold, brilliant, catchy, commanding, conspicuous, emphatic, eye-catching, flamboyant, grabby, kenspeckle (chiefly Scottish), marked, noisy, noticeable, prominent, pronounced, remarkable, showy, splashy, striking
    related: detectable, discernible, observable, perceptible, recognizable, visible, outstanding, salient, distinguished, eminent, impressive, notable, noteworthy, highlighted, spotlighted, flagrant, glaring, howling, screaming, flashy, garish, gaudy, glitzy, jazzy, loud, meretricious, swank, tawdry, highfalutin, ostentatious, pretentious, extravagant, fancy, florid, glittery, spectacular, opulent, ornate, overdone, overwrought, absorbing, engrossing, enthralling, fascinating, interesting, riveting
    opposite: inconspicuous, unemphatic, unflamboyant, unnoticeable, unobtrusive, unremarkable, unshowy
    near: subtle, concealed, hidden, shrouded, dim, faint, obscure, insignificant, undistinguished, unimportant, modest, unaffected, unassuming, unpretentious, conservative, plain, quiet, simple, understated, muted, restrained, subdued, toned-down, unflashy

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Dramatic

The most common words with a similar meaning to Dramatic:

Chiefly Scottish: kenspeckle
histrionic, melodramatic, operatic, stagy, theatrical, hammy, arresting, bodacious, bold, brilliant, catchy, commanding, conspicuous, emphatic, eye-catching, flamboyant, grabby, marked, noisy, noticeable, prominent, pronounced, remarkable, showy, splashy, striking

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Dramatic

Words with the opposite meaning of Dramatic:

undramatic, inconspicuous, unemphatic, unflamboyant, unnoticeable, unobtrusive, unremarkable, unshowy

Related Words for Dramatic

affected, emotional, emotionalistic, sensational, actorish, actorly, actressy, dramaturgic, ham, amazing, astonishing, astounding, awesome, exciting, eye-opening, fabulous, marvelous, spectacular, surprising, wonderful, wondrous, overdramatic, overacted, overdone, staged, elaborate, grandiose, ostentatious, artificial, exaggerated

Near Antonyms of Dramatic

matter-of-fact, monotonous, uneventful, unexciting, uninspiring, unnewsworthy, unrewarding, unsensational, unspectacular, common, commonplace, ordinary, stale, unexceptional, nondramatic, nontheatrical, unaffected, underplayed, unpretentious, muted, restrained, subdued, toned (down), conservative, discreet, modest, plain, quiet, simple, subtle

Word Forms of Dramatic

Derived words: dramatically (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Dramatic

borrowed from Late Latin drāmaticus, borrowed from Greek drāmatikós, from drāmat-, drâma "deed, action, drama" + -ikos -ic:1

First known use: 1589

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Dramatic

Words & Phrases Containing Dramatic

dramatic irony, dramatic monologue, dramatic unities, amateur dramatic

Frequently Asked Questions about Dramatic

What does "Dramatic" mean?

"Dramatic" means of or relating to drama. As an adjective, it is defined as: of or relating to drama. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Dramatic"?

Other words for "Dramatic" include histrionic, melodramatic, operatic, stagy, theatrical, hammy, arresting and bodacious. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Dramatic" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Dramatic"?

There are 104 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Dramatic". Common alternatives include histrionic, melodramatic, operatic, stagy, theatrical, hammy, arresting, bodacious, bold and brilliant.

What is the opposite of "Dramatic"?

Antonyms of "Dramatic" include undramatic, inconspicuous, unemphatic, unflamboyant, unnoticeable, unobtrusive, unremarkable and unshowy. Near antonyms include matter-of-fact, monotonous, uneventful and unexciting.

How do you use "Dramatic" in a sentence?

Examples of "Dramatic" in a sentence: "the basketball player's dramatic announcement of his sudden retirement held everybody spellbound"; "oh, don't be so dramatic, and just tell us, without the pregnant pauses, what happened"; "a dramatic drop in the temperature overnight".

Is "Dramatic" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Dramatic" is an adjective.

Is "Dramatic" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Dramatic" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+. It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts.

How do you pronounce "Dramatic"?

"Dramatic" is pronounced /drə-ˈma-tik/ and divided into syllables as dra·mat·ic.