movie
n.-
1 an exciting experience (n.) C1 Advanced Slang Informalan event or night out that is very fun and feels like something from a film.
an extremely exciting, impressive, or high-energy experience.
ExampleThe party last night was a movie — everyone was dancing and the music was great.
ExampleThe whole weekend in Vegas was a movie, filled with unexpected encounters and high-stakes energy that felt entirely surreal.
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2 a long or tiring event (n.) C2 Proficiency Informala situation that is very long, complicated, or annoying.
a figurative extension referring to a tiresome, unpleasant, or overly dramatic sequence of events.
ExampleGetting my visa renewed was a whole movie; I had to visit three different offices.
ExampleDealing with the insurance company after the accident turned into a real movie, involving endless paperwork and conflicting statements from various agents.
From moving (picture) + -ie. Attested since at least 1912 (if not 1908), originally in American English.
- 01
have seen this movie
To have experienced a situation which is the same as or similar to the current situation, especially with a sense of the unpleasantness or tiresomeness of the recurring situation.
- 02
movie jail
A state of derailment of a career or limited opportunities to which a film industry professional is seemingly relegated, usually as a result of making an unsuccessful film.
- 03
popcorn movie
A motion picture without serious dramatic content, a weighty message, or intellectual depth, which serves simply as enjoyable entertainment.