'soap opera' definitions:

Definition of 'soap opera'

noun

A serialized program usually dealing with sentimentalized family matters that is broadcast on radio or television (frequently sponsored by a company advertising soap products)

Synonyms of 'soap opera'

From: Moby Thesaurus

antimasque,
audience success,
ballet,
bathos,
bleeding heart,
bomb,
broadcast,
broadcast drama,
burlesque show,
canned show,
charade,
cliff hanger,
closet drama,
cloyingness,
comedy drama,
commercial,
commercial program,
critical success,
daytime serial,
dialogue,
documentary drama,
drama,
dramalogue,
dramatic play,
dramatic series,
duodrama,
duologue,
electrical transcription,
epic theater,
experimental theater,
extravaganza,
failure,
flop,
gasser,
giveaway,
goo,
Grand Guignol,
happening,
hearts-and-flowers,
hit,
hit show,
improvisational drama,
legitimate drama,
masque,
maudlinness,
mawkishness,
melodrama,
minstrel show,
miracle,
miracle play,
monodrama,
monologue,
morality,
morality play,
mush,
mushiness,
music drama,
musical revue,
mystery,
mystery play,
namby-pamby,
namby-pambyism,
namby-pambyness,
network show,
newscast,
nostalgia,
nostomania,
opera,
oversentimentalism,
oversentimentality,
pageant,
panel show,
pantomime,
Passion play,
pastoral,
pastoral drama,
piece,
play,
playlet,
problem play,
psychodrama,
quiz show,
radio drama,
radio fare,
radiobroadcast,
rebroadcast,
rerun,
review,
revue,
romanticism,
sensational play,
sentiment,
sentimentalism,
sentimentality,
serial,
show,
sitcom,
situation comedy,
sketch,
skit,
slop,
sloppiness,
slush,
soap,
sob story,
sociodrama,
sound effects,
spectacle,
sportscast,
stage play,
stage show,
straight drama,
success,
suspense drama,
sustainer,
sweetness and light,
tableau,
tableau vivant,
talk show,
taped program,
tearjerker,
teleplay,
television drama,
television play,
theater of cruelty,
Tom show,
total theater,
variety show,
vaudeville,
vaudeville show,
vehicle,
word-of-mouth success,
work