Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Melodrama
Melˊo-dra′ma
,Noun.
[F.
mélodrame
, fr. Gr. μέλοσ
song + δρᾶμα
drama.] Formerly, a kind of drama having a musical accompaniment to intensify the effect of certain scenes. Now, 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 gravedigging scene of Beethoven’s “Fidelio”Definition 2024
Melodrama
Melodrama
See also: melodrama
German
Noun
Melodrama n (genitive Melodramas, plural Melodramen)
Declension
Declension of Melodrama
| singular | plural | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| indef. | def. | noun | def. | noun | |
| nominative | ein | das | Melodrama | die | Melodramen |
| genitive | eines | des | Melodramas | der | Melodramen |
| dative | einem | dem | Melodrama | den | Melodramen |
| accusative | ein | das | Melodrama | die | Melodramen |
Related terms
melodrama
melodrama
See also: Melodrama
English
Noun
melodrama (countable and uncountable, plural melodramas or melodramata)
- (archaic, uncountable) A kind of drama having a musical accompaniment to intensify the effect of certain scenes.
- (countable) 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".
- 1956, Delano Ames, chapter 9, in Crime out of Mind:
- Rudolf was the bold, bad Baron of traditional melodrama. Irene was young, as pretty as a picture, fresh from a music academy in England. He was the scion of an ancient noble family; she an orphan without money or friends.
-
- (uncountable, figuratively, colloquial) Any situation or action which is blown out of proportion.
Translations
romantic drama
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Derived terms
Derived terms
Norwegian Bokmål
Etymology
From Ancient Greek μέλος (mélos) + drama
Noun
melodrama n (definite singular melodramaet, indefinite plural melodrama or melodramaer, definite singular melodramaene)
References
- “melodrama” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
Norwegian Nynorsk
Etymology
From Ancient Greek μέλος (mélos) + drama
Noun
melodrama n (definite singular melodramaet, indefinite plural melodrama, definite plural melodramaa)
References
- “melodrama” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
Portuguese
Pronunciation
- Rhymes: -ama
Noun
melodrama m (plural melodramas)
- melodrama (romantic drama)
- (figuratively) melodrama (any situation or action which is blown out of proportion)
Serbo-Croatian
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /mêlodraːma/
- Hyphenation: me‧lo‧dra‧ma
Noun
mȅlodrāma f (Cyrillic spelling ме̏лодра̄ма)
Declension
Declension of melodrama