as in theatrical
given to or marked by attention-getting behavior suggestive of stage acting
a hammy singer whose overwrought renditions of love songs just beg listeners to cry
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Recent Examples of hammy
Expressionless, Flagg pushes aside the hammy joke and pulls out a chair to sit at a nearby table.
—
Brendan Quinn, The Athletic, 11 Feb. 2025
Cohen’s interpretation of Regina George may have been a lot hammier than Rachel McAdams, but Chabert and Lohan had basically the exact same inflection in their voices as in the original.
—Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 21 Nov. 2024
Every actor’s Hamlet is theirs and theirs alone, and Olivier’s is big and hammy and searing and often quite devastating.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2025
More emotional scenes, however, feel hammy and didactic, heavy on the telling over the showing (and that telling hinges on being damn blunt about the whole thing, to boot).
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hammy
Brendan Quinn, The Athletic, 11 Feb. 2025
Cohen’s interpretation of Regina George may have been a lot hammier than Rachel McAdams, but Chabert and Lohan had basically the exact same inflection in their voices as in the original.
—Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 21 Nov. 2024
Every actor’s Hamlet is theirs and theirs alone, and Olivier’s is big and hammy and searing and often quite devastating.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2025
More emotional scenes, however, feel hammy and didactic, heavy on the telling over the showing (and that telling hinges on being damn blunt about the whole thing, to boot).
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hammy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hammy
Adjective
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The big-budget production is nothing short of a theatrical marvel, with Henry’s powers and the Upside Down brought to life using a jaw-dropping mixture of illusions and visual effects created by designers Jamie Harrison and Chris Fisher.—
Emlyn Travis,
EW.com,
23 Apr. 2025
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The occult realm of Netflix, the streaming service that ensnares viewers in a maze of maybes, has joined forces with Sonia Friedman Productions to convert a piece of prime theatrical real estate into a zone of franchise extension.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The sight of brown pelicans diving headfirst into the ocean in pursuit of a meal represents one of the distinctive visual images of the California coast, their dramatic flight the highlight of a predatory mission.—
Jorge L. Ortiz,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2025
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Trump's second-term tally—just five bills signed—underscores a dramatic shift toward consolidating presidential power.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
29 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hammy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hammy. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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