variants
or stagey
stagier; stagiest
: of or characteristic of the stage
especially
: marked by pretense or artificiality : theatrical
Synonyms
Examples of stagy in a Sentence
an artificial and stagy manner
a motivational speaker whose stagy presentations motivate some listeners to head for the nearest exit
Recent Examples on the Web
Advertisement Gwen Grastorf’s embodiment of the scheming goody-goody Arsinoë is a tad stagy, but the character is still a fine foil for the quick-witted Célimène.
—
Celia Wren, Washington Post, 4 May 2023
The fact that the film was made inexpensively, though not a vice in and of itself, is not especially compensated for by Joe Collins’ cinematography, which renders Heffernan’s compositions flat, stagy and small.
—Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 17 Apr. 2023
The stagy devices give the impression of notions that may have seemed like brainstorms in rehearsal but in performance feel overly artificial.
—Peter Marks, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2023
Its weapon is maximalism: with velvet tuxedos, stagy service and a love for all the props and paraphernalia of midcentury American dining.
—Pete Wells, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2023
All good but drifting into stagy with a tad too much branding.
—Freep.com, 8 May 2020
But the overture is long, and the episode turns stagy and exaggerated.
—New York Times, 3 Mar. 2020
One result of the coincidence was the emergence of a new kind of actress, emoting vividly in a stagy accent acquired somewhere between Bryn Mawr and Broadway.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 29 Jan. 2020
Yet her characterization of Bernadette feels a mite strenuous — stagy, in the wrong way, as opposed to film-y in the right, Linklater way.
—Michael Phillips, chicagotribune.com, 15 Aug. 2019
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Celia Wren, Washington Post, 4 May 2023
The fact that the film was made inexpensively, though not a vice in and of itself, is not especially compensated for by Joe Collins’ cinematography, which renders Heffernan’s compositions flat, stagy and small.
—Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 17 Apr. 2023
The stagy devices give the impression of notions that may have seemed like brainstorms in rehearsal but in performance feel overly artificial.
—Peter Marks, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2023
Its weapon is maximalism: with velvet tuxedos, stagy service and a love for all the props and paraphernalia of midcentury American dining.
—Pete Wells, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2023
All good but drifting into stagy with a tad too much branding.
—Freep.com, 8 May 2020
But the overture is long, and the episode turns stagy and exaggerated.
—New York Times, 3 Mar. 2020
One result of the coincidence was the emergence of a new kind of actress, emoting vividly in a stagy accent acquired somewhere between Bryn Mawr and Broadway.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 29 Jan. 2020
Yet her characterization of Bernadette feels a mite strenuous — stagy, in the wrong way, as opposed to film-y in the right, Linklater way.
—Michael Phillips, chicagotribune.com, 15 Aug. 2019
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stagy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1856, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near stagy
Cite this Entry
“Stagy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stagy. Accessed 9 Dec. 2023.
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