1
as in theatrical
given to or marked by attention-getting behavior suggestive of stage acting
a penchant for dish throwing, door slamming, and other histrionic displays of temper
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in theatric
having the general quality or effect of a stage performance
we never tired of his histrionic reenactment of how he found money under the floorboards of a house he was renovating
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Recent Examples of histrionic
Tang Ren’s histrionic, oftentimes scatological behavior is offset by Qin Feng’s almost superhuman intuition, and director Chen Sicheng has repeatedly doffed his cap to the BBC’s hugely successful series Sherlock, not least in the vivid visualisations of Holmes’ deductive reasoning.
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James Marsh, Deadline, 31 Jan. 2025
As a piece of political rhetoric, the word has become numbingly histrionic.
—Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2025
This may sound like the setup for a histrionic sci-fi soap opera.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 17 Jan. 2025
Where so much of onscreen storytelling at the time was steeped in histrionic levels of sincerity and reverence for American institutions, Hill’s film had no interest in promoting the status quo or hiding whatever rottenness is present in this country’s criminal-justice system.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 30 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for histrionic
James Marsh, Deadline, 31 Jan. 2025
As a piece of political rhetoric, the word has become numbingly histrionic.
—Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2025
This may sound like the setup for a histrionic sci-fi soap opera.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 17 Jan. 2025
Where so much of onscreen storytelling at the time was steeped in histrionic levels of sincerity and reverence for American institutions, Hill’s film had no interest in promoting the status quo or hiding whatever rottenness is present in this country’s criminal-justice system.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 30 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for histrionic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for histrionic
Adjective
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But theatrical Leo parents may need reminding that rules and structure are essential in parenting too, says Brown.—
Kara Nesvig,
Parents,
15 July 2025
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How to Train Your Dragon will likely arrive on Peacock around three to four months after its theatrical premiere in June 2025, putting the release date around September or October 2025.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
Adjective
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The past five years have been among the most dramatic: SXSW closed down during the first weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic and did not reopen in person — on a much smaller scale — until 2022.—
Michael Barnes,
Austin American Statesman,
23 July 2025
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Whereas the kiss cam scandal offers a catchy story for leadership mishaps when work and family get tangled, most days, family seeps into leadership in less dramatic ways.—
Lieke ten Brummelhuis,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
Adjective
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But the mere threat of a lawsuit opened a new chapter in the operatic relationship between Trump and Murdoch, the 93-year-old patriarch who controls the Journal, Fox News and other conservative media brands.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
17 July 2025
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The lead performances from Shibasaki and Ayano are riveting and powerfully operatic.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
19 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Histrionic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/histrionic. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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