pri·ma donna

(prē′mə, prĭm′ə)

1. The leading woman soloist in an opera company.

2. A temperamental, conceited person.

[Italian : prima, feminine of primo, first + donna, lady.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

prima donna

(ˈpriːmə ˈdɒnə)

n, pl prima donnas

1. (Classical Music) a female operatic star; diva

2. informal a temperamental person

[C19: from Italian: first lady]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

pri•ma don•na

(ˌpri mə ˈdɒn ə, ˌprɪm ə)

n., pl. prima don•nas.

1. a first or principal female singer of an opera company.

2. a vain, temperamental person who expects privileged treatment.

[1760–70; < Italian: literally, first lady; see prime, duenna]

prima donna

- Meaning "principal female singer in an opera," it is from the same Italian phrase meaning "first lady"; the meaning "temperamental person" was first recorded in 1834.

prima donna

An Italian phrase meaning first lady, used to mean a female opera star or a person who is temperamental and hard to work with.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	prima donna - a vain and temperamental person disagreeable person, unpleasant person - a person who is not pleasant or agreeable
	2.	prima donna - a distinguished female operatic singer; a female operatic star diva opera star, operatic star - singer of lead role in an opera

prima donna

noun diva, star, leading lady, female lead her career as prima donna with the opera company

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

المُغَنِّيَة الأولى في الأوبرا

první pěvkyně

primadonna

Primadonna

prima donna

primadonna

prímadonna, aîalsöngkona

primadonna

ledende sangerinne primadonna

primadona

baş kadın oyuncu

歌剧中的主要女歌手

prima donna

[ˈpriːməˈdɒnə] N (prima donna or prima donnas (pl)) → primadonna f, diva f (fig) → persona f difícil, persona f de reacciones imprevisibles

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

prima donna

[ˌpriːməˈdɒnə] n (= singer) → prima donna f
to behave like a prima donna (fig) → se comporter comme une diva

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

prima donna

n (lit, fig) → Primadonna f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

prima donna

[ˈpriːməˈdɒnə] n → primadonna
she is a real prima donna (pej) → fa la primadonna

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

prima

(ˈpriːmə) : prima ballerina

the leading female dancer in a ballet company.

prima donna (-ˈdonə)

a leading female opera singer.

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

Our young prima donna shall come in the evening, and sing to us.

The future prima donna had done practicing her scales, and was trying her voice now in selections from Italian operas.

"And then," he resumed, "shall I go to my young prima donna upstairs and leave you here alone?"

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This was especially the case when the pleasure was a delicate one, as his pleasures mostly were; and on this occasion the moment he looked forward to was so rare and exquisite in quality that--well, if he had timed his arrival in accord with the prima donna's stage-manager he could not have entered the Academy at a more significant moment than just as she was singing: "He loves me--he loves me not--HE LOVES ME!--" and sprinkling the falling daisy petals with notes as clear as dew.

" the prima donna sang, and "M'ama!", with a final burst of love triumphant, as she pressed the dishevelled daisy to her lips and lifted her large eyes to the sophisticated countenance of the little brown Faust-Capoul, who was vainly trying, in a tight purple velvet doublet and plumed cap, to look as pure and true as his artless victim.

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Raoul, of course, was the first to be astonished at the prima donna's absence.

View in context

Thursday the girls had a drive in the park, and in the evening Miss Barry took them to a concert in the Academy of Music, where a noted prima donna was to sing.

View in context

Later he met a prima donna, fell in love with and married her, forsook telephony for ballooning, and lost his life in attempting to fly across the English Channel.

View in context

Character: "He's not like a prima donna or anything, more a roll your sleeves up type of guy.

LOWDOWN ON SCOT SET TO JOIN SKY BLUES IN SUMMER

On the other hand, did you also have meltdown moments or prima donna moments?

Were Paolo Ballesteros and Solenn Heussaff 'Prima Donnas' in the making of 'My 2 Mommies'?

One lucky reader will get a De'Longhi Prima Donna De Luxe coffee machine, worth PS1000, and a year's supply of their own Espre premium coffee beans.

WIN; COFFEE MACHINE FOR YOUR OFFICE PLUS COFFEE FOR A YEAR