How to Use melodrama in a Sentence

melodrama

noun
  • The trial turned into a melodrama.
  • Critics dismissed his work as melodrama.
  • She is starring in another melodrama.
  • The melodrama, in fact, is so high, the film teeters on the brink of satire.
    — cleveland, 23 Nov. 2021
  • For many people, this will all sound like a lot of melodrama.
    — Ed Yong, The Atlantic, 17 Dec. 2021
  • The film in question was a sci-fi thriller but the case played out in court like a melodrama.
    — Brian Melley, ajc, 28 Apr. 2023
  • Just the crudeness of it, in the despair of it, in the melodrama of it.
    — Michael Harriot, The Root, 19 Dec. 2017
  • So this is a musical melodrama, one shot through with heat and light.
    — Alissa Wilkinson, Vox, 14 Sep. 2018
  • In other words, this is melodrama with songs, but of a very high order.
    — Moira MacDonald, The Seattle Times, 2 Oct. 2018
  • Huge town that loves its melodrama and is king and queen of the Big Event.
    — Paul Daugherty, The Enquirer, 10 Feb. 2022
  • There is, of course, nothing wrong with choosing high-stakes melodrama as a form.
    — David Benedict, Variety, 26 June 2022
  • And there is plenty of drama — melodrama, too — to go around.
    — Bill Goodykoontz, azcentral, 31 May 2018
  • So then, why do so many fans around here — and elsewhere — get pulled into the melodrama?
    — Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 13 Mar. 2022
  • As to what happens, well, there are shards of drama and melodrama, many meant to cut and hurt.
    — Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2018
  • Bouzid crafts her characters with a dash of melodrama.
    — Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
  • The show set in motion a new kind of high school melodrama, one shot through with a down and dirty spirit.
    — Lauren Mechling, Town & Country, 4 Oct. 2020
  • Giving into the melodrama of the moment is not the way to go.
    — Fox News, 26 July 2018
  • Even if a lot of the contestants turned up the melodrama to a hundred.
    — James Grebey, Vulture, 8 Dec. 2023
  • The cast is more than up to the task of making the melodrama relatable.
    — Scott Phillips, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
  • Yes, Titanic is a soapy melodrama, which didn’t used to be a crime.
    — Paul Schrodt, Men's Health, 13 Dec. 2022
  • Dressed in a white Hellenic gown, Moore sang the tune with equal melodrama.
    — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2026
  • Even Lawrence, the steadiest of the lot, gets caught up in the melodrama.
    — Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 2024
  • The comedy is wild and timeless; the melodrama is strained and alien.
    — James Parker, The Atlantic, 9 Aug. 2020
  • Handling such weighty concepts, a less deft hand might have lapsed into melodrama.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 6 Apr. 2026
  • But there’s something so funny about the melodrama.
    — Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
  • To be clear, the performances in this indie melodrama are fine.
    — Trevor Fraser, OrlandoSentinel.com, 14 May 2018
  • That’s what happens when melodrama (girls) meets baseball (boys)!
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 2 Nov. 2025
  • This melodrama is ubiquitous in the sport.
    — Jack Holmes, Vanity Fair, 11 June 2026
  • Eternity didn’t need to be a melodrama, but sometimes a little schmaltz goes a long way.
    — Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2025
  • The quick change gimmick was a staple of comic melodrama in Doyle’s own time.
    — Christopher Arnott, courant.com, 9 Mar. 2018

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'melodrama.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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