drama
Other forms: dramas
Drama is highly emotional. It can happen on stage, like a performance of "Hamlet," or in a gaggle of 7th grade girls, breathlessly dissecting why so-and-so broke up with what's-her-name.
The word drama comes directly from Greek, meaning "action" or "a play." Which is no surprise, since ancient Athens was a hotbed of dramatic theater. The earliest recorded actor was a Greek named Thespis, and actors today are still called "thespians" in his honor. Drama doesn't always take place on the stage, though. You can use the word, sometimes with a roll of the eyes, to describe behavior or a reaction to a situation that appears a little overly emotional.
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a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stagesynonyms: dramatic play, playtypes:Grand Guignola play of a macabre or horrific naturetheater of the absurdplays stressing the irrational or illogical aspects of life, usually to show that modern life is pointlessplayleta short playmiracle playa medieval play representing episodes from the life of a saint or martyrmorality playan allegorical play popular in the 15th and 16th centuries; characters personified virtues and vicesmystery playa medieval play representing episodes from the life of ChristPassion playa play representing the Passion of Christsatyr playan ancient Greek burlesque with a chorus of satyrstype of:dramatic composition, dramatic worka play for performance on the stage or television or in a movie etc.
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the literary genre of works intended for the theatertypes:closet dramadrama more suitable for reading that for performingcomedylight and humorous drama with a happy endingtragedydrama in which the protagonist is overcome by some superior force or circumstance; excites terror or pityKabuki, kabukia traditional form of Japanese drama characterized by highly stylized movement and song and using only male performersblack comedycomedy that uses black humorcommedia dell'arteItalian comedy of the 16th to 18th centuries improvised from standardized situations and stock charactersdark comedya comedy characterized by grim or satiric humor; a comedy having gloomy or disturbing elementshigh comedya sophisticated comedy; often satirizing genteel societylow comedya comedy characterized by slapstick and burlesquemelodramaan extravagant comedy in which action is more salient than characterizationtragicomedya dramatic composition involving elements of both tragedy and comedy usually with the tragic predominatingslapsticka boisterous comedy with chases and collisions and practical jokestype of:
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the quality of being arresting or highly emotional
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an episode that is turbulent or highly emotionalsynonyms: dramatic eventtypes:night terroran emotional episode (usually in young children) in which the person awakens in terror with feelings of anxiety and fear but is unable to remember any incident that might have provoked those feelingstype of:episodea happening that is distinctive in a series of related events
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Vocabulary lists containing drama
To improve your fluency in English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR), learn this academic vocabulary list that includes words selected from the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) state standards.
In this graphic novel, an African-American seventh grader struggles to fit in at his new private school.
You don't need an oracle to tell you that it would be a tragedy to miss out on this list of terms related to ancient Greece. Learn about the geography of Greece, government and politics, philosophy, drama, and more. Review this list and you'll never confuse an agora with an amphora!