diva

noun

di·​va ˈdē-və How to pronounce diva (audio)
plural divas or dive ˈdē-(ˌ)vā How to pronounce diva (audio)
1
b
: prima donna sense 2
… if a team asks me to play somewhere else, I'm not going to be a diva about it.Ettore Lattanzio
2
: a usually glamorous and successful female performer or personality (see personality sense 4b)
a fashion diva
especially : a popular female singer
pop divas
The original diva and Queen Of Soul, Aretha Franklin, appears to have brought US President Barack Obama to tears (and then to his feet) with a stellar performance of (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural WomanTom Williams

Examples of diva in a Sentence

the reigning diva of daytime television
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Apple Music playlist of Britain’s 76-year-old monarch surprisingly includes reggae star Bob Marley, pop diva Kylie Minogue and genre-bending artist RAYE. Alexandra Banner, CNN, 7 Mar. 2025 While the muscular lyrics aren’t necessarily characteristic of either diva, Gaga cleverly takes advantage of her bold voice here, unafraid to use its idiosyncrasies to communicate feeling. Carrie Wittmer, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2025 Sabrina Carpenter sprints past ahead of the crowded diva field to claim pop album. Chris Willman, Variety, 3 Feb. 2025 Karan Johar, Apoorva Mehta, Somen Misra Key Cast: Ibrahim Ali Khan, Khushi Kapoor, Mahima Chaudhary, Suniel Shetty, Dia Mirza, Jugal Hansraj A modern romance following a South Delhi diva who hires a middle-class overachiever boy as her fake boyfriend to save her squad. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for diva

Word History

Etymology

Italian, literally, goddess, from Latin, feminine of divus divine, god — more at deity

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of diva was in 1883

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Diva.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diva. Accessed 11 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

diva

noun
di·​va ˈdē-və How to pronounce diva (audio)
plural divas or dive -ˌvā How to pronounce diva (audio)
1
2
: a usually glamorous and successful female performer or celebrity
a fashion diva
especially : a popular female singer
pop divas
Etymology

from Italian diva "goddess," from Latin diva (same meaning)

More from Merriam-Webster on diva

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