1. Exaggerated or affected exclamations or oaths; theatrical or melodramatic speech or behavior.
Usage: informal; often humorous or derogatory; derived from the archaic exclamation 'gadzooks'

Examples

• The actor's constant gadzookery made it hard to take the serious scene seriously.
• She dismissed his complaints as mere gadzookery designed to get attention.
• The villain's gadzookery—all dramatic gasps and wild gestures—delighted the audience.
• His tendency toward gadzookery meant every minor inconvenience became a grand tragedy.
• The old-fashioned gadzookery of the period drama felt both charming and absurd.