hammy

ham·my | \ ˈha-mē

How to pronounce hammy (audio)

\

hammier; hammiest

Definition of hammy

: marked by exaggerated and usually self-conscious theatricality

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Examples of hammy in a Sentence

a hammy singer whose overwrought renditions of love songs just beg listeners to cry

Recent Examples on the Web Brian Blessed, normally a very hammy performer, is marvellously effective as Augustus. — The Economist, "A family affair Why you should be watching “I, Claudius”," 2 Apr. 2020 Johnson brought together a cast of some of the finest character actors — including Michael Shannon and Toni Collette — in delightfully hammy roles as members of the very well-off Thrombey family. — Hau Chu, Washington Post, "The 5 must-see movies of this holiday season," 25 Dec. 2019 Meryl Streep, as Aunt March, brings an appropriate, appropriately hammy dose of Meryl Streep. — Philippa Snow, The New Republic, "The Reinvention of Little Women," 1 Jan. 2020 Delivering a wacky, at times uncomfortably hammy portrayal of neediness, Travolta is certainly watchable. — Michael O'sullivan, chicagotribune.com, "’The Fanatic’ review: As an obsessed movie fan, John Travolta goes all out," 27 Aug. 2019 From that point on, Richie settled into a groove of singing one of his many hits and then engaging in hammy patter that felt as canned as Spam. — Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, "Not even a premature fireworks display can stop Lionel Richie from lighting up the Grandstand," 30 Aug. 2019 Intentional or not, the movie’s Dollar Store makeup design, hammy zoom-ins and imperfect effects root the horror in the real world to extra nightmarish effect. — New York Times, "Summer Chills: A Horror Fan’s Guide to What to Watch Right Now," 15 Aug. 2019 To listen to Chance is to absorb a mix of social messaging and personal anecdotes spiced with hammy humor and broad applause lines—not unlike with a vote-seeker’s memoir. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, "Chance the Rapper Wants You to Get Married," 30 July 2019 The adaptation of one of the weirder Marvel brands did everything wrong, from its garish costumes to its hammy dialogue to its terrible special effects. — Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, "11 Marvel TV shows, definitively ranked (including 'Cloak and Dagger')," 11 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hammy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near hammy

hammock netting

Statistics for hammy

Last Updated

12 Apr 2020

Cite this Entry

“Hammy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hammy. Accessed 31 May. 2020.

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