dramatize

verb

dra·​ma·​tize ˈdra-mə-ˌtīz How to pronounce dramatize (audio) ˈdrä- How to pronounce dramatize (audio)
dramatized; dramatizing

transitive verb

1
: to adapt (something, such as a novel) for theatrical presentation
2
: to present or represent in a dramatic manner

intransitive verb

1
: to be suitable for dramatization
2
: to behave dramatically
dramatizable adjective

Examples of dramatize in a Sentence

The movie dramatizes her early life. The book is dramatized in a new play. I know I tend to dramatize things but it really was awful. She cited a series of statistics to dramatize the seriousness of the problem. This tragedy dramatizes the need for improvements in highway safety.
Recent Examples on the Web Origin dramatizes the findings in Isabel Wilkerson’s 2020 non-fiction book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, blending them with biographical elements from the life of Wilkerson herself. Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 2 Feb. 2024 The film dramatizes the true crime story chronicled in author David Grann’s 2017 book of the same name. Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 23 Jan. 2024 The film, which dramatizes the life of theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, has been picked up by Japanese distribution company Bitters End for a 2024 release in the only country to have not just one but two nuclear bombs dropped on it. Jeremy Childs, Los Angeles Times, 8 Dec. 2023 Attempts to dramatize the Beatles' story have been more sporadic and less impactful. Jake Coyle, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2024 Michelle O’Neill’s accession to office as the leader of the largest party in the assembly dramatizes the end of that project. Amy Cassidy, CNN, 3 Feb. 2024 Previous iterations of the Genius franchise dramatized the lives of Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso and Aretha Franklin. Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Jan. 2024 The film is based on the memoir of Holocaust survivor Maxwell Smart and dramatizes his childhood experience of having to fend for himself in the forests of Poland during World War II. Linda Chase, Sun Sentinel, 12 Jan. 2024 Haynes dramatizes fiction to erase the history of Letourneau’s real-life offense, thereby becoming complicit with her crime. Armond White, National Review, 10 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dramatize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1783, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dramatize was in 1783

Dictionary Entries Near dramatize

Cite this Entry

“Dramatize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dramatize. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

dramatize

verb
dram·​a·​tize
ˈdram-ə-ˌtīz,
ˈdräm-
1
: to make into a drama
2
: to present or represent in a dramatic manner
dramatization
ˌdram-ət-ə-ˈzā-shən
ˌdräm-
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on dramatize

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