soap opera

soap opera

noun

Definition of SOAP OPERA

1

a : a serial drama performed originally on a daytime radio or television program and chiefly characterized by tangled interpersonal situations and melodramatic or sentimental treatment b : a series of real-life events resembling a soap opera

2

: the melodrama and sentimentality characteristic of a soap opera <even cops need a little soap opera in their lives — Joseph Wambaugh>; also : something (as a novel) having such qualities

— soap–op·er·at·ic \ˈsōp-ˌä-pə-ˈra-tik\ adjective

Examples of SOAP OPERA

1. She loves to watch daytime soap operas.
2. <the movie started out well, but quickly devolved into improbable soap opera>

Origin of SOAP OPERA

from its sponsorship by soap manufacturers

First Known Use: 1939

Related to SOAP OPERA

Synonyms: goo, mush, schmaltz (also schmalz), sludge, slush, corn, sorghum

Related Words: claptrap, drivel, rubbish, tripe

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