soap-opera
Definition
- Noun:
- A serialized drama: A "soap opera" is a television or radio drama series that is broadcast regularly (often daily) and focuses on the personal lives, relationships, and emotional conflicts of its characters, typically in a melodramatic style.
- By extension, any overly dramatic situation: Informally, "soap opera" can refer to any real-life situation or narrative that is excessively sentimental, exaggerated, or full of dramatic twists.
Usage Examples
- (A daily television drama series.)
- (A real-life situation that is overly dramatic and full of conflict.)
Advanced Usage
"a soap-opera plot": a storyline that is typically melodramatic, involving secret affairs, family feuds, or sudden revelations.
- The novel had a soap-opera plot with long-lost twins and a surprise inheritance. (The plot was very dramatic and implausible.)
"soap-opera acting": acting that is exaggerated, emotional, and often lacking subtlety, typical of soap operas.
- His performance was criticized for being soap-opera acting, with too many tears and dramatic pauses. (The acting was overly melodramatic.)
Variants and Related Words
Soap-opera-ish (adj): characteristic of a soap opera in tone or content.
- The family reunion was soap-opera-ish, with shouting matches and tearful confessions. (It was very dramatic and emotional.)
Soap (n): a shortened, informal term for a soap opera.
- I used to watch that soap every day, but I lost track of the story. (A daily television drama.)
Synonyms
- Melodrama: a dramatic work or situation that exaggerates emotion and emphasizes sensational plots.
- Serial: a story or drama published or broadcast in regular instalments.
- Telenovela: a Spanish-language soap opera, typically with a limited number of episodes.
Related Idioms
- "Like a soap opera": used to describe a situation that is overly dramatic or full of coincidences.
- Their relationship is like a soap opera — one crisis after another. (It is full of emotional turmoil and unexpected events.)