histrionically
1
8.9
- adverb
- /ˌhɪstrɪˈɒnɪkli/
:
histriónicamente
- At the award ceremony, the actor's histrionically joyful speech thrilled the audience.
Examples
-
Histrionically, it depicted the fates of "Eugene who must live in a Negro home because his own people do not care" and "Rosie, who for the want of a home is forced to live with Caucasians."
Academic text (2003) -
She spoke histrionically, using grand gestures and a booming voice to capture everyone's attention.
-
"The man looked to heaven and crossed himself histrionically."
Fiction book (1999) -
Women and children sniffed histrionically when they passed us in the street.
Fiction book (1999) -
I stopped reading him after the first debate when he behaved so histrionically and have not gone back.
Blog text (6) -
Guys would brake their cars for a couple of minutes as they talked with him, then he would histrionically wave each through in a sweep of his free arm.
Fiction book (1993) -
Six weeks on death row and van Meegeren cracked, announcing somewhat histrionically that he'd paint the thing himself.
Blog text (10) -
He sighed histrionically.
Fiction book (1999) -
Her father started accusing her mom of filling up a Gordon's gin bottle she had been nipping on from under the kitchen sink with water to cover her habit, all of which her mom histrionically denied.
Fiction book (2002) -
The canvas portrays a forbidding entrepreneur coldly rejecting the linen cloth of a weaver for its imperfections and, to emphasize his point, histrionically flinging it to the floor of his firm.
Academic text (1991)
Synonyms
5
6.2
In a dramatic, exaggerated way like an actor on stage
1
7.2
In a way that shows too much feeling to seem real
1
7.7
In a very dramatic and emotional way like an opera performance
In a way that looks like acting on a stage
In a showy way to attract attention
In a very dramatic, playful way that makes people laugh
In a way that uses bold color and shape to show strong emotion
Antonyms
How Theatrical
1
8.9
1
7.2
5
6.2
330
3.9
110
1.0
12
5.6
Surface Forms
Morphology
histrionically = histrionic (transparent) = histrionic + ally
Regular adjectival-to-adverbial formation: 'histrionic' + the adverbial suffix yields the expected meaning 'in a theatrical way'.
Etymology
Histrionically comes from the old Latin word histrio, which means 'actor'. Imagine someone on a stage making big gestures and strong emotions like a performer, and that image explains why histrionically means 'in a very dramatic or theatrical way'.