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as in jokey
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Recent Examples of campy
An initial flop both with critics and at the box office, Drop Dead Gorgeous has since rightfully claimed its crown as a campy cult classic.
—
Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 June 2026
Arden had never seen the film before the COVID lockdown, but was instantly drawn to its mix of a sexy teen drama with a campy yet terrifying adventure.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 26 May 2026
But rather than imitate what came before, Hsu leans into Janet's awkward sincerity and gradual awakening, finding fresh emotional textures beneath the show's campy surface.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 19 May 2026
The resulting feature is enigmatic and lightly campy, strange and hallucinatory, taking place in a liminal futuristic city that’s clogged with thick mist and terrorized by a violent serial killer named Leather Man.
—Rachel Handler, Vulture, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for campy
Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 June 2026
Arden had never seen the film before the COVID lockdown, but was instantly drawn to its mix of a sexy teen drama with a campy yet terrifying adventure.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 26 May 2026
But rather than imitate what came before, Hsu leans into Janet's awkward sincerity and gradual awakening, finding fresh emotional textures beneath the show's campy surface.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 19 May 2026
The resulting feature is enigmatic and lightly campy, strange and hallucinatory, taking place in a liminal futuristic city that’s clogged with thick mist and terrorized by a violent serial killer named Leather Man.
—Rachel Handler, Vulture, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for campy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for campy
Adjective
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The first phase of Olympic ice dance was once an aristocratic affair — ruffles and frills flying as athletes performed romantic tangos, foppish quick steps and Viennese waltzes with straight backs and exaggerated posture.—
Robert Samuels,
Washington Post,
9 Feb. 2026
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Speaking of styling tricks to steal, the foppish ties that almost looked like silk scarves or ribbons at the Yohji Yamamoto show would be a good alternative for women who want some kind of necktie but think a traditional men’s tie reads too costumey.—
Marisa Meltzer,
Vanity Fair,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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This iteration of the show was relatively jokey.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
11 June 2026
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Where Iain was tart, Hoffman was goofy and glib, using the jokey pitch modulations of a fake talk-show host to let viewers know that the Islanders’ doings were ridiculous.—
Anna Peele,
Vulture,
20 May 2026
Adjective
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But the Jason Sudeikis-starring sappy comedy is coming back, thanks to the pure willpower of a streaming service in desperate need of an all-around hit.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
1 June 2026
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Time hasn’t diminished her flinty chemistry with Meryl Streep or Emily Blunt, thank God, though her moments with Stanley Tucci drift into needlessly sappy terrain.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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Former keepers who visited on May 13 said the 2-year-old has bonded with surrogate mother Fredrika and developed a playful, mischievous personality.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 June 2026
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Travis came up with the playful name, which was inspired by the city's cold winters.—
Jori Parys,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
Adjective
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For the magazine’s seventy-fifth anniversary, in 2000, the dog-loving portraitist William Wegman dressed up one of his Weimaraners as Eustace Tilley, our dandyish mascot, originally drawn by Rea Irvin.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Her broader shoe history runs from Reebok sneakers on the Golden Globes red carpet to whimsical Irregular Choice styles, pointing to a personal approach to footwear built less around trend-chasing than taste, comfort and surprise.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
9 June 2026
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Vibrant colors, playful fruit motifs, and whimsical nail art are all on the table and look just as striking on a shorter length.—
Rebecca Norris,
InStyle,
8 June 2026
Adjective
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The composer shows himself a cartoonish James Bond-type, battling with his prissy critics, while also dallying with his seductive wife, who is represented in opulent violin solos.—
Mark Swed,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
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As Berenger’s prissy friend Gene, the character who transforms the most during the course of the play, Phillip Taratula changes in both body and soul.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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What starts as a challenge soon turns into a witty, emotional enemies-to-lovers story that forces both writers to rethink their beliefs about love, happiness and happy endings.—
Lily Brown,
PEOPLE,
8 June 2026
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Missing the gritty vigor of the first two films, Rocky III is more focused on violence than its predecessors and less interested in the witty character work that defined the original.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Campy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/campy. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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