French word

drame

Pronunciation

IPA/dʁam/

Meaning

  • masculine nountragedy

Example

C'est un drame.

It's a tragedy.

Illustration for drame (tragedy)

More examples

Le drame a touché toute la famille.

The tragedy affected the entire family.

Core concept

A serious human conflict appears either on a stage or in real life, with suffering that can end in tragedy.

Common phrases

  • un drame familial

    a family tragedy

  • un drame humain

    a human tragedy

  • vivre un drame

    live through a tragedy

Similar words

accident: An unexpected event that causes injury or damage to people or property.
tragédie: A stage or fictional work portraying ruin or profound sorrow.
malheur: A misfortune affecting an individual or family.
catastrophe: A large-scale disaster causing extensive damage and severe disruption.

Definition in French

Pièce de théâtre sérieuse qui montre des conflits et des souffrances, ou événement réel de caractère tragique.

Word origin

French drame comes from Greek drama, meaning action or deed, through Latin and Italian, and developed senses for staged action and tragic events.

Usage tips

  • In news and everyday speech, drame often refers to a real tragedy, so context distinguishes it from a theatrical work.

Other meanings

  • dramanoun
  • disasternoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word