A drama is a serious play for the theatre, television, or radio.
He acted in radio dramas.
Synonyms: play, show, stage show, stage play More Synonyms of drama
2. uncountable noun
You use drama to refer to plays in general or to work that is connected with plays and the theatre, such as acting or producing.
He knew nothing of Greek drama.
She met him when she was at drama school.
Synonyms: theatre, acting, dramatic art, stagecraft More Synonyms of drama
3. variable noun
You can refer to a real situation which is exciting or distressing as drama.
There was none of the drama and relief of a hostage release.
For all its drama, the event was not unexpected.
Synonyms: excitement, crisis, dramatics, spectacle More Synonyms of drama
drama in British English
(ˈdrɑːmə)
noun
1.
a work to be performed by actors on stage, radio, or television; play
2.
the genre of literature represented by works intended for the stage
3.
the art of the writing and production of plays
4.
a situation or sequence of events that is highly emotional, tragic, or turbulent
Word origin
C17: from Late Latin: a play, from Greek: something performed, from drān to do
drama in American English
(ˈdrɑmə; ˈdræmə)
noun
1.
a literary composition that tells a story, usually of human conflict, by means of dialogue and action, to be performed by actors; play; now often specif., any play that is not a comedy
2.
the art or profession of writing, acting in, or producing plays
3.
plays collectively
Elizabethan drama
4.
a series of events so interesting, vivid, etc. as to resemble those of a play
5.
the quality of being dramatic
Word origin
LL < Gr, an action, drama < dran, to do < IE base *drā-, to work > Latvian darīt, to do
COBUILD Collocations
drama
high drama
tense drama
Examples of 'drama' in a sentence
drama
It was part of my training at drama school.
The Sun (2016)
Cosy period dramas make for perfect winter viewing but are often filmed in summer.
The Sun (2016)
It is unusual for the action in a theatre auditorium to rival the drama on the stage.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Off it, their own drama was playing out in identical fashion.
The Sun (2016)
Who doesn't love a period crime drama?
The Sun (2016)
Great sci-fi drama sees two new guests head to the futuristic cowboy park.
The Sun (2016)
When a tutor advised her to apply for tutor drama school, she took the plunge.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
He now stars in US drama Elementary.
The Sun (2017)
A troubling drama set against the backdrop of the Korean War in which a young man gets involved with a precocious fellow student.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The drama was played out on a global stage.
Jack Turner SPICE: The History of a Temptation (2004)
We also use more serious drama than we used to.
Christianity Today (2000)
The next step is to apply for drama courses at local colleges or drama schools.
The Sun (2011)
It is a prize that literature or drama students anywhere in the world would envy.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
She taught me how to live life through drama and art.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Those taking theatre and drama lessons decreased from nearly half to less than a third.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The hostage drama was the second incident of its kind in three years.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Not all sounds used in radio dramas are produced in this way.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Under the new system the drama of the moment would probably have been lost.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
These range from dull practicalities to looming emotional dramas.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
To discard the stage of the drama of life.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The drama played to his vanity as well as his instincts as a political gambler.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
He went to drama school at the suggestion of a girlfriend.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
She finds herself trying to save lives while directing a live hostage drama.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This is the worst period drama of the year, and the whole cast know it.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
He was deeply involved in drama productions in Cambridge.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The show continues to dazzle audiences with its songs, drama and magical sets.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
You don't have to go to the theatre for drama.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
He acted in school drama productions, sang and played trombone.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
I'm ready to do a period drama again.
The Sun (2014)
Having done costume drama and serious roles, she's keen to try comedy.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Quotations
Drama is life with the dull bits cut outAlfred Hitchcock
The drama is make-believe. It does not deal with the truth but with effectW. Somerset MaughamThe Summing Up
Life is full of internal dramas, instantaneous and sensational, played to an audience of oneAnthony Powell
pantomime: a play in which the story is told without violence to the language. The least disagreeable form of dramatic actionAmbrose BierceThe Devil's Dictionary
for what's a play without a woman in it?Thomas KydThe Spanish Tragedy
In other languages
drama
British English: drama /ˈdrɑːmə/ NOUN
A drama is a serious play for the theatre, television, or radio.
He acted in radio dramas.
American English: drama
Arabic: دراما
Brazilian Portuguese: drama
Chinese: 戏剧
Croatian: drama
Czech: drama
Danish: drama
Dutch: drama
European Spanish: drama
Finnish: näytelmä
French: drame
German: Drama
Greek: δράμα
Italian: dramma
Japanese: 劇
Korean: 극 연기하다
Norwegian: drama
Polish: dramat
European Portuguese: drama
Romanian: dramă
Russian: драма
Latin American Spanish: drama
Swedish: skådespel
Thai: บทละคร
Turkish: dram
Ukrainian: драма
Vietnamese: kịch nói
All related terms of 'drama'
drama-doc
a film which combines fact and fiction
dance drama
drama performed through dance movements, frequently with dialogue
drama queen
If you call someone a drama queen , you mean they react to situations in an unnecessarily dramatic or exaggerated way.
high drama
You can refer to a real situation which is exciting or distressing as drama .
music drama
an opera in which the musical and dramatic elements are of equal importance and strongly interfused
tense drama
A drama is a serious play for the theatre , television, or radio.
closet drama
drama suitable for reading rather than performing
costume drama
any theatrical production , film, television presentation , etc, in which the performers wear the costumes of a former age
drama college
A college is an institution where students study after they have left school.
drama critic
a journalist who writes critiques of plays, or who talks about the theatre on radio or television
drama school
a college which trains students (who are generally 18+) to act
drama student
a student who is training to become an actor
period drama
a drama set in a particular historical period
hospital drama
a TV programme or series based on events in a hospital
kitchen-sink drama
a type of drama of the 1950s depicting the sordid aspects of domestic reality
docudrama
A docudrama is a film based on events that really happened . Docudramas are usually shown on television rather than in cinemas .
musical
You use musical to indicate that something is connected with playing or studying music.
the art of writing, producing, or acting in a play
He knew nothing of Greek drama.
Synonyms
theatre
acting
She has returned home to pursue her career in acting.
dramatic art
stagecraft
dramaturgy
Thespian art
3 (noun)
Definition
a situation that is exciting or highly emotional
the drama of a hostage release
Synonyms
excitement
crisis
dramatics
spectacle
turmoil
histrionics
theatrics
see also subject word lists:
See Theatre termsSee Dramatists
subject word lists
See Types of drama
Quotations
Drama is life with the dull bits cut out [Alfred Hitchcock]The drama is make-believe. It does not deal with the truth but with effect [W. Somerset Maugham – The Summing Up]Life is full of internal dramas, instantaneous and sensational, played to an audience of one [Anthony Powell]pantomime: a play in which the story is told without violence to the language. The least disagreeable form of dramatic action [Ambrose Bierce – The Devil's Dictionary]for what's a play without a woman in it? [Thomas Kyd – The Spanish Tragedy]
Additional synonyms
in the sense of acting
Definition
the art of an actor
She has returned home to pursue her career in acting.