Dramatic

How to spell dramatic

8 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce dramatic

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does dramatic mean?

1. adjectiveSudden, striking, or impressive enough to attract attention.
2. adjectiveRelating to plays, the theatre, or acting.

Dramatic in a sentence

• The new policy led to a dramatic drop in waiting times.

• She trained at a dramatic academy before joining the company.

• Renovating the kitchen made a dramatic difference to the whole house.

• The festival celebrates both musical and dramatic performances.

Where does dramatic come from?

Language of origin: Greek

This word traces back to the Greek dramatikos, meaning 'concerning a play or stage action', which was built on drama, the Greek noun for a deed, an act, or a performed story. That noun in turn came from the verb dran, meaning 'to do' or 'to act', so at its heart the word is about doing something rather than merely describing it. Latin adopted the form as dramaticus, and English took the word in during the early 1600s, at first strictly in the theatrical sense of anything relating to plays and performance. Over time the meaning widened so that a sudden, striking, or emotionally charged event could also be called dramatic, even far from any stage. The single 'm' is worth noting, since it follows the spelling of 'drama' itself rather than doubling, which is the small trap writers occasionally stumble on.

How the word is built

• dramat- (from Greek drama, dramatos: a deed, action, or stage play)
• -ic (adjective suffix)