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
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
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
See All Example Sentences for hammy
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
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
See All Example Sentences for hammy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hammy
Adjective
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An overwhelming majority of them, 81%, also want an exclusive theatrical window on new releases lasting at least six weeks, while 77% believe that day-and-date streaming releases have a negative impact on the theatrical model.—
J. Kim Murphy,
Variety,
22 June 2025
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Similarly, 2023’s Elemental was released digitally 60 days after its theatrical debut.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
Adjective
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The change from Skinner to Pickard helped stabilize the Oilers in Game 4, enough to spark a dramatic overtime comeback.—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
16 June 2025
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Some of Lloyd’s recent productions—including the dramatic monochrome Sunset Boulevard and Romeo and Juliet—use cameras and screens; all use microphones.—
Sarah Crompton,
Vogue,
16 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hammy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hammy. Accessed 26 Jun. 2025.
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