actorish

adjective

ac·​tor·​ish ˈak-tə-rish 

: having the characteristics of a professional actor

especially : noticeably histrionic or stagy in appearance or mannerism

much too slick and actorish to be convincing as a cheap hustler

—Stuart Byron

actorishly adverb

actorishness noun

Miss Metcalf steers her way through the intricate geography of this monologue with astonishing expertise. … At its end, when the loss of those good times and good friends fully hits her, she weeps without either reserve or the slightest hint of actorishness.

—Benedict Nightingale, New York Times, 10 June 1984

Word History

First Known Use

1924, in the meaning defined above

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