# movie

/ˈmuvi/ (US) · /mˈuːvi/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/movie
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 3. an exciting experience

noun · CEFR C1 · Slang · Informal

an event or night out that is very fun and feels like something from a film.

For teachers: an extremely exciting, impressive, or high-energy experience.

- The party last night was a movie — everyone was dancing and the music was great.
- The whole weekend in Vegas was a movie, filled with unexpected encounters and high-stakes energy that felt entirely surreal.

### 4. a long or tiring event

noun · CEFR C2 · Informal

a situation that is very long, complicated, or annoying.

For teachers: a figurative extension referring to a tiresome, unpleasant, or overly dramatic sequence of events.

- Getting my visa renewed was a whole movie; I had to visit three different offices.
- Dealing with the insurance company after the accident turned into a real movie, involving endless paperwork and conflicting statements from various agents.

## Examples

- We are going to watch a movie tonight.
- The local cinema shows a different classic movie every Friday night for a discounted price.
- While the director's early work was experimental, his latest movie adopts a more traditional narrative structure to appeal to a broader international audience.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.