Definitions for melodramaˈmɛl əˌdrɑ mə, -ˌdræm ə

Random House Webster's College Dictionary

mel•o•dra•maˈmɛl əˌdrɑ mə, -ˌdræm ə(n.)(pl.)-mas.

a dramatic form that exaggerates emotion and emphasizes plot or action over characterization.
Category: Showbiz, Literature
melodramatic behavior or events.
(in the 17th–early 19th centuries) a romantic drama with music interspersed.
Category: Showbiz, Music and Dance, Literature

Origin of melodrama:

1800–10; < F mélodrame=mélo- (< Gk mélos song) +dramedrama

mel`o•dram′a•tist-ˈdræm ə tɪst, -ˈdrɑ mə-(n.)

Princeton's WordNet

melodrama(noun)
an extravagant comedy in which action is more salient than characterization

Wiktionary

melodrama(Noun)
A kind of drama having a musical accompaniment to intensify the effect of certain scenes.
melodrama(Noun)
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".
melodrama(Noun)
Any situation or action which is blown out of proportion.

Origin: From the melodramma, the second element refashioned by analogy with drama, which the dramma represents both etymologically and semantically; ultimately, both the and the represent a supposed etymon of the form *, from the extant roots and ; compare melodrame, the mélodrame, the Melodram, and the melodrama.

Webster Dictionary

Melodrama(noun)
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"

The Nuttall Encyclopedia

Melodrama
a play consisting of sensational incidents, and arranged to produce striking effects.

Translations for melodrama

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary

melodrama(noun)

a (type of) play in which emotions and the goodness or wickedness of the characters are exaggerated greatly.

melodramaAfrikaans
مَشْجاه: مَسْرَحِيَّه تُبالِغ في وَصْف العَواطِف وتَنْتَهي نهايَةً سَعيدَهArabic
игра на преувеличаванеBulgarian
melodramaPortuguese (BR)
melodramaCzech
das MelodramaGerman
melodramaDanish
μελόδραμαGreek
melodramaSpanish
melodraamaEstonian
ملودرامFarsi
melodraamaFinnish
mélodrameFrench
מֶלוֹדרָמָהHebrew
उत्तेजनायुक्त नाटकHindi
melodramaCroatian
melodrámaHungarian
melodramaIndonesian
melódramaIcelandic
melodrammaItalian
メロドラマJapanese
멜로드라마Korean
melodramaLithuanian
melodrāmaLatvian
melodramaMalay
melodramaDutch
melodrama, folkekomedieNorwegian
melodramatPolish
نمايش كه توام با موسيقى و آواز باشدPersian
له موسيقى سره ډرامهPashto
melodramaPortuguese
melodramăRomanian
мелодрамаRussian
melodrámaSlovak
melodramaSlovenian
melodramaSerbian
melodram[a]Swedish
เรื่องประโลมโลกThai
melodram, acıklı oyunTurkish
情節劇，通俗劇Chinese (Trad.)
мелодрамаUkrainian
ادنی درجے کا سنسنی خیز ڈراماUrdu
kịch mêlôVietnamese
情节剧Chinese (Simp.)