histrionic

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See also: histriònic

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin histriōnicus (pertaining to acting; scurrilous, shameful; wretched), from Latin histriōnicus (pertaining to acting and the theatre), from histriō (actor, player) + -icus (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’). By surface analysis, histrion +‎ -ic.

Pronunciation

Adjective

histrionic (comparative more histrionic, superlative most histrionic)

  1. Of or relating to actors or acting.
    Synonyms: actorish, actressy, dramatic, theatrical
    • 1816 July, “Miss O’Neill. ”, in The North American Review and Miscellaneous Journal, volume III, number VIII, Boston, Mass.: Wells and Lilly , →OCLC, page 164:
      After three years of constant applause, Miss O'Neill directed her steps towards the summit of histrionick exertion, being engaged for the season of 1814 at Covent Garden, where she made her first entrée as Juliet, on the 6th of October, being at once recognised as the first Hibernian actress, who had joined transcendant beauty with rare histrionick talent, since the time of Mrs. Woffington.
    • 1823 June 14, “The Drama, etc.”, in The Literary Gazette; and Journal of the Belles Lettres, Arts, Sciences, &c., number 334, London: Printed by B. Bensley, ; published for the proprietors, at the Literary Gazette office, , →OCLC, page 381, column 3:
      On Saturday, Miss F. H. Kelly played Belvidera for the first time, to a crowded House, and for her own benefit;—for her own benefit in every way, for the performance added a wreath to her histrionic laurels, and drew down the warmest testimonies of applause.
    • 1904, Henry James, The Golden Bowl:
      hey might have been figures rehearsing some play of which she herself was the author; they might even, for the happy appearance they continued to present, have been such figures as would by the strong note of character in each fill any author with the certitude of success, especially of their own histrionic.
    • 1905, Baroness Orczy , “The Affair at the Novelty Theatre”, in The Case of Miss Elliott, London: T Fisher Unwin, →OCLC; republished in The Old Man in the Corner: Twelve Mysteries, Kelly Bray, Cornwall: House of Stratus, 2008, →ISBN, →OL, chapter 2, page 207:
      Miss Phyllis Morgan, as the hapless heroine dressed in the shabbiest of clothes, appears in the midst of a gay and giddy throng; she apostrophises all and sundry there, including the villain, and has a magnificent scene which always brings down the house, and nightly adds to her histrionic laurels.
  2. (by extension) Excessively dramatic or emotional, especially with the intention to draw attention.
    Synonyms: melodramatic, overdramatic, sensationalized, stagy

Alternative forms

Derived terms

Translations

References

Further reading

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French histrionique.

Adjective

histrionic m or n (feminine singular histrionică, masculine plural histrionici, feminine and neuter plural histrionice)

  1. histrionic

Declension

Declension of histrionic
singular plural
masculine neuter feminine masculine neuter feminine
nominative-
accusative
indefinite histrionic histrionică histrionici histrionice
definite histrionicul histrionica histrionicii histrionicele
genitive-
dative
indefinite histrionic histrionice histrionici histrionice
definite histrionicului histrionicei histrionicilor histrionicelor