n.
Pronunciation: ' me-l ə - ˌ drä-m ə , - ˌ dra-
Function: noun
Etymology: modification of French mélodrame, from Greek melos song + French drame drama, from Late Latin drama
Date: 1802
1 a : a work (as a movie or play) characterized by extravagant theatricality and by the predominance of plot and physical action over characterization b : the genre of dramatic literature constituted by such works
2 : something resembling a melodrama especially in having a sensational or theatrical quality
– melo · dra · ma · tist \ ˌ me-l ə - ' dra-m ə -tist, - ' drä- \ noun