A dramatic change or event happens suddenly and is very noticeable and surprising.
Changes in sea level could have a dramatic effect.
This policy has led to a dramatic increase in our prison populations.
dramatically (drəmætɪkli)adverb [usually ADVERB with verb, oft ADVERB adjective]
At speeds above 50mph, serious injuries dramatically increase.
2. adjective
A dramatic action, event, or situation is exciting and impressive.
He witnessed many dramatic escapes as people jumped from as high as the fourth floor.
Their arrival was dramatic and exciting.
dramaticallyadverb [usually ADVERB with verb, oft ADVERB adjective]
He tipped his head to one side and sighed dramatically.
3. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
You use dramatic to describe things connected with or relating to the theatre, drama, or plays.
...a dramatic arts major in college.
I had no thoughts of making a dramatic film. I was working in documentary.
Synonyms: theatrical, Thespian, dramaturgical, dramaturgic More Synonyms of dramatic
More Synonyms of dramatic
dramatic in British English
(drəˈmætɪk) or obsolete dramatical (drəˈmætɪkəl)
adjective
1.
of or relating to drama
2.
like a drama in suddenness, emotional impact, etc
3.
striking; effective
4.
acting or performed in a flamboyant way
5. music
(of a voice) powerful and marked by a histrionic quality
Derived forms
dramatically (draˈmatically)
adverb
dramatic in American English
(drəˈmætɪk)
adjective
1.
of or connected with drama
2.
a.
having the characteristics of a drama, esp. conflict; like a play
b.
filled with action, emotion, or exciting qualities; vivid, striking, etc.
c.
great, marked, strong, etc.
a dramatic increase in prices
Also ; Archaic draˈmatical
Derived forms
dramatically (draˈmatically)
adverb
Word origin
LL dramaticus < Gr dramatikos
Examples of 'dramatic' in a sentence
dramatic
The catalyst was a dramatic increase in wholesale fuel prices.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It did not have a dramatic effect on the game.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Previous generations would have been astonished by this dramatic change.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Retailers have had no choice but to reflect these dramatic increases in the prices they charge at the pumps.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
So could it have dramatic effects?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Those numbers hide some dramatic changes.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The experience had a dramatic and permanent effect on Fraser.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
In America too they craved dramatic change.
The Sun (2016)
Within months he had made a dramatic impact.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The effect is dramatic when the effort drops off.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Their meeting had been a dramatic one.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
There will be a far more dramatic increase in tax credits for the poorest families.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Yet it all lacked real emotional bite and dramatic momentum.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
This dramatic action is almost normal for the coast.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
But serious dramatic roles have eluded him in recent years.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
There were other dramatic changes taking place at the time of the impact anyway.
Radford, Tim & Leggett, Jeremy The Crisis of Life on Earth - our legacy from the second millenium (1990)
The changes wrought had an equally dramatic impact right across the wage scale.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Poor timing can have an equally dramatic effect in the opposite direction.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
All patients but one presented a dramatic improvement of the condition of the skin.
The Sun (2011)
The ambitious blueprint calls for a dramatic increase in wind and wave power.
The Sun (2008)
The parlous circumstances should not be an excuse for inaction but rather a spur for dramatic action.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Perhaps the same thing that prompts the dramatic and inexplicable changes in your friends.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Some universities complain that the impact has been dramatic.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
But it certainly had a dramatic effect on the players.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The implications for the dramatic action of the opera are manifold.
The Times Literary Supplement (2014)
Each campaign seems to be more exciting and dramatic than the last and this one looks no exception.
The Sun (2013)
That is just one dramatic example of what happens quietly all the time in synagogues and other places of worship.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The boom in circulation of ideas was accompanied by a dramatic increase in the exchange of commodities and manufactured objects.
The Times Literary Supplement (2014)
He went on to become a serious dramatic actor and stalwart of Hollywood.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
It's great and exciting and dramatic.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The trauma is still evident today, as the last survivors finally tell their dramatic and emotional stories.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
I considered it powerful and dramatic.
Christianity Today (2000)
In other languages
dramatic
British English: dramatic /drəˈmætɪk/ ADJECTIVE
A dramatic change is sudden and noticeable.
It was a dramatic improvement.
American English: dramatic
Arabic: دراميّ
Brazilian Portuguese: dramático
Chinese: 戏剧性的
Croatian: dramatičan
Czech: dramatický
Danish: dramatisk
Dutch: dramatisch
European Spanish: drástico
Finnish: dramaattinen
French: dramatique
German: dramatisch
Greek: δραματικός
Italian: drammatico
Japanese: 演劇の
Korean: 극적인
Norwegian: dramatisk
Polish: dramatyczny
European Portuguese: dramático
Romanian: dramatic, major
Russian: драматический
Latin American Spanish: dramático
Swedish: dramatisk
Thai: อย่างรวดเร็ว
Turkish: dramatik
Ukrainian: драматичний
Vietnamese: kịch tính
All related terms of 'dramatic'
dramatic arts
the art of the writing and production of plays; drama
dramatic loss
Loss is the fact of no longer having something or having less of it than before.
dramatic climax
The climax of something is the most exciting or important moment in it, usually near the end.
dramatic finale
The finale of a show , piece of music, or series of shows is the last part of it or the last one of them, especially when this is exciting or impressive .
dramatic irony
the irony occurring when the implications of a situation , speech, etc, are understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play
dramatic pause
A pause is a short period when you stop doing something before continuing.
dramatic gesture
A gesture is something that you say or do in order to express your attitude or intentions , often something that you know will not have much effect.
dramatic monologue
a poetic monologue which presents a character and a situation solely by means of that character's own words
dramatic reduction
When there is a reduction in something, it is made smaller.
dramatic society
an amateur dramatics club
dramatic improvement
If there is an improvement in something, it becomes better . If you make improvements to something, you make it better.
dramatic turnaround
A turnaround is a sudden improvement , especially in the success of a business or a country's economy .
irony
Irony is a subtle form of humour which involves saying things that you do not mean.