diva

noun

di·​va ˈdē-və 

plural divas or dive ˈdē-(ˌ)vā 

1

a

music : prima donna sense 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 Woman …

—Tom Williams

Synonyms

• goddess
• princess
• queen

Examples of diva in a Sentence

the reigning diva of daytime television

Recent Examples on the Web

Yes, but: The pop diva won't find a Rock Hall induction under her tree. —Troy Smith, Axios, 1 Nov. 2024

Torrie Wilson Rodriguez and Torrie Wilson, a former Playboy model and WWE diva, were first seen together in December 2011. —Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 25 Oct. 2024

Scherzinger also nails the comedy of a camp diva, inhabiting Norma’s delusion and ego without ever losing sight of her sincerity. —Kathryn Vandervalk, EW.com, 21 Oct. 2024

What spellbound them—in one way or another—was the making of a Broadway diva before them. —Michael Appler, Variety, 21 Oct. 2024

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

Kids Definition

diva

noun

di·​va ˈdē-və 

plural divas or dive -ˌvā 

1

a

: PRIMA DONNA sense 1

b

: PRIMA DONNA sense 2

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)