operanoun [ C or U ]
uk/ˈɒp.ər.ə//ˈɒp.rə/us/ˈɑː.pɚ.ə/A2 a musical play in which most of the words are sung, or plays and music of this type:
"Carmen" is my favourite opera.
I've never been a huge fan of opera.
He goes to the opera (= to see an opera) whenever he can.
an opera singer
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operetta
More examples
- I can only stand opera in small doses.
- If this first opera of the season is a herald of what is to come, we can expect great things.
- The Almeida theatre's recent staging of the opera had critics foaming at the mouth.
- She is one of the immortals of classical opera.
- Why is opera so inaccessible to so many people?
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Opera
- aria
- comic opera
- grand opera
- libretto
- opera house
- operatic
- operetta
- overture
- prima donna
- recitative
- supertitle
- surtitle
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Types of music