dramatic
/drəˈmætɪk/ (bre, ipa) · /drəˈmætɪk/ (ame, ipa) · /drə-ˈma-tik/ (ame, mw)
dramatic — adjective
- dramaticpositive
- more dramaticcomparative
- most dramaticsuperlative
1. happening in a way that is very big, sudden, and easily seen, so that people fee
happening in a way that is very big, sudden, and easily seen, so that people feel surprised, excited, or impressed.
The company reported a dramatic rise in profits during the first quarter.
dramatic rise/increase/improvement
Kian's piano performance was so dramatic that the audience gave him a standing ovation.
A dramatic change in weather forced the organisers to cancel the outdoor concert.
The documentary shows dramatic footage of climbers making their final push to the summit.
Lisa arrived at the party in a vintage car, making a dramatic entrance.
- striking
more visual-focused; something that catches your eye
- remarkable
focuses on the surprising quality rather than suddenness
- spectacular
suggests something visually impressive and often large in scale
文法句型
dramatic + noun
be + dramatic
用法筆記
Frequently used before nouns of change (rise, drop, shift, increase, transformation) or before nouns describing impressive events (scene, moment, performance, entrance).
常見錯誤
2. tending to react or speak with too much emotion or force, making ordinary situat
tending to react or speak with too much emotion or force, making ordinary situations appear far more serious or important than they truly are.
Hugo is so dramatic — missing a bus is not the end of the world.
be dramatic (about something)
Folake let out a dramatic gasp when the waiter brought her the wrong order.
dramatic + reaction word (gasp, sigh, announcement)
Please do not be so dramatic about the news; no one is in any danger.
Chidi made a dramatic announcement about quitting, but he came back the next morning.
- exaggerated
more neutral in tone; simply means something is made bigger than reality
- over-the-top
informal; suggests someone has gone too far in their reaction
- theatrical
suggests the person is performing or putting on an act for others
- understated
deliberately kept low-key and not exaggerated
- calm
describes a person who does not overreact
文法句型
be dramatic (about something)
dramatic + noun (reaction, announcement, sigh)
用法筆記
Often carries a mildly critical tone — used when the speaker feels a reaction is bigger than the situation deserves.
常見錯誤
3. connected to plays performed on a stage, films, or the profession of acting.
connected to plays performed on a stage, films, or the profession of acting.
The school is putting on a dramatic production of Hamlet this spring.
dramatic production / dramatic performance
Élise studied dramatic arts at university and now works as a theatre director.
dramatic arts
The festival features dramatic performances by five different theatre companies from across the country.
Feng joined a dramatic writing class to learn how to write scripts for the stage.
- theatrical
more about performance style; can also mean exaggerated
- stage
used as a modifier (stage production, stage play) — narrower, directly about live theatre
文法句型
dramatic + noun (arts, production, society, writing)
用法筆記
Unlike senses 1 and 2, this sense carries no implication of excitement or exaggeration — it simply describes things belonging to the world of theatre and plays. Commonly paired with nouns like arts, production, society, writing.