histrionic

C2 Topic:Describing Qualities

Also spelled histronic

US /ˌhɪs.triˈɑ.nɪk/ UK /hɪstɹiːˈɒnɪk/ See IPA manual

Freq #88914

Meanings

1

adj
Overly dramatic or emotional, especially to get attention.

Her histrionic reaction to the bad news embarrassed everyone.
2

adj
Relating to actors or acting.

He had real histrionic talent and dominated every scene.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · overly dramatic or... hammymelodramaticoverdramaticstagy

2 adj · relating to actors or acting. dramatic theatrical

Word family

Forms histrionics

Derived forms herstrionichistrionicalhistrionicallyhistrionicismhistrionicityhistrionicstestrionicsunhistrionic

Related forms histrionhistrionismhistrionize

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.

histriōnicus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# histrionic

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˌhɪs.triˈɑ.nɪk/
**IPA (UK):** /hɪstɹiːˈɒnɪk/
**Frequency rank:** 88914

## Meanings
1. Overly dramatic or emotional, especially to get attention.
2. Relating to actors or acting.

## Examples
- Her histrionic reaction to the bad news embarrassed everyone.
- He had real histrionic talent and dominated every scene.

## Derived Forms
- herstrionic
- histrionical
- histrionically
- histrionicism
- histrionicity
- histrionics
- testrionics
- unhistrionic

## Related Forms
- histrion
- histrionism
- histrionize

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: histriōnicus

## 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.

## AI Etymology
Histrionic is 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. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern adjectival form is built from the named base and affix. Important recorded forms include histriōnicus (la-lat). Current senses include overly dramatic or emotional, especially to get attention and relating to actors or acting. The wider family includes derived forms such as herstrionic, histrionical, histrionically, histrionicism, and histrionicity and related words such as histrion, histrionism, and histrionize.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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