Meaning & use
prima donna
Last updated
A self-important, temperamental person who demands special treatment or attention.
See it in a sentence
The new manager acted like such a prima donna that no one wanted to work with him.
She threw a fit over the seating chart, behaving like a total prima donna.
A note on using this word
Originally referred to the leading female singer in an opera; in everyday speech it's almost always used critically, to describe someone demanding and vain.
Words with a similar meaning
diva
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Another way to use it
2. noun
The leading female singer in an opera company.
The prima donna's aria brought the audience to tears.
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