prima donna
3
7.8
- noun
- /ˌpriːmə ˈdɒnə/
- Offensive
:
diva (despectivo)
- Despite their achievements, he was labeled a prima donna because of his temperamental nature and constant need for attention.
Examples
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In the theater world, being a prima donna often means demanding special privileges and recognition from the director.
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I think they could see that a prima donna I was not.
Blog text (19) -
If you know me well enough, you know I am far from a prima donna.
Blog text (19) -
I also think Sharpton is an opportunistic prima donna.
Blog text (11) -
When I'm involved with someone, I expect her to act like a mature adult and not some prima donna who expects everyone to cater to her.
Blog text (1) -
We can't be prima donnas, bemoaning the impossibility of doing our best in such difficult circumstances.
Blog text (11) -
She told me that her teachers were really leaning towards less qualified applicants because they did not want a prima donna to come in who did not work well with a team.
Blog text (19) -
The artist's behavior during rehearsals confirmed that she truly acted like a prima donna, insisting on her way at every turn.
Synonyms
32
6.0
A famous person who demands special treatment and is hard to please
Antonyms
How Self-Important
- Offensive
2
9.9
- Offensive
3
7.8
- Offensive
32
6.0
13
5.8
Surface Forms
Morphology
prima + donna
This is a direct borrowing from Italian where 'prima' means first/leading and 'donna' means woman, so a learner who knows those constituents can infer 'leading woman' and thus the sense 'leading female singer'. The compositional logic is preserved in English and similar usages occur across languages, making the meaning readily derivable without prior exposure.
Etymology
Prima donna comes from the opera world: prima means 'first' and donna means 'lady', the top female singer who often got special treatment. Because some of these singers were known for being proud and hard to please, people began using prima donna for anyone who acts 'self-important' or 'demanding'.