Operatic describes something related to opera, or something so dramatic and emotional that it reminds you of opera. Opera is a type of performance where trained singers tell stories through powerful, soaring songs accompanied by an orchestra, often with elaborate costumes and sets.

When musicians perform in an operatic style, they sing with the full force and technique that opera requires: loud enough to fill a concert hall without microphones, with voices that can express joy, rage, or heartbreak in ways that make audiences weep. An operatic soprano might hold a single high note so long and beautifully that the audience erupts in applause.

But the word also describes behavior that's excessively dramatic. When your friend throws themselves across their bed and wails, “My life is ruined!” because they got a B instead of an A, you might say they're being operatic. It means they're making something seem more tragic or important than it really is, like they're performing in a grand opera instead of just living normal life.