OK, I’ve never understood what exactly IS a prima donna in the correct application of the term…and in the colloquial (sp?) usage. For the latter, I assume it is someone (typ. female) who acts like she’s better than everyone when it comes to daily tasks, etc.
Also, what IS a debutante (sp?) ? I assume this refers back to a the guest of honor at a girl’s “Coming Out” party? (Do the rich still do this?) Does it have any other connotation? Is an actress or model in her first major role called a debutante?
So the terms are not synonyms. This is just an online dictionary and someone else may offer better definitions, specially in what the terms mean colloquially.
Prima Donna = Italian for “first lady” = lead female singer in an opera company. Traditionally, highly strung and temperamental.
Debutante = someone making her debut in society = young rich girls being placed on the marriage market for the first time. Traditional prey of upper-class cads (often baronets called Sir Jasper).
Unlikely to be synonyms, though both have derogatory connotations of being spoiled and self-obsessed.
Related trivia… The lead female dancer in a traditional ballet company is called the “prima ballerina”, or literally the “first ballerina”. The prima ballerina is (usually) the star of the show, just like the prima donna (“first lady” or lead singer) is the star (or one of them) of the opera. Likewise, they have a reputation for being haughty and difficult to work with (just like some actors, movie stars, sports superheros, etc. who get a little too full of themselves).
And no… of course not all of them are like that, but some are.