1. to make something seem more dramatic, emotional, or exciting than it really is
Usage: British spelling; American spelling is ‘melodramatize’

Examples

• She tends to melodramatise every minor setback in her life.
• The newspaper melodramatised the political scandal with sensational headlines.
• Don’t melodramatise the situation – it’s not as serious as you think.
• The film melodramatises the historical events for entertainment value.
• He has a tendency to melodramatise his childhood experiences.
• The media often melodramatises celebrity breakups to sell more magazines.