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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
-
Mubi is set to expand its theatrical operations in Italy as Efe Cakarel, CEO of the global streamer, producer and film distributor, recently anticipated in an interview for a Variety cover story.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
29 May 2025
-
Previously, Knives Out movies have done the festival rounds ahead of their theatrical/Netflix stint.—
Billie Melissa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 May 2025
Adjective
-
Sirens’s ending is a solid reminder that, sometimes, the most dramatic stories can also be the most realistic.—
Caroline Framke,
Vulture,
23 May 2025
-
Lowenstein examines how excessive leverage, overconfidence in mathematical models, and market forces beyond the fund's control led to one of the most dramatic financial failures in modern history.—
Robert Daugherty,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hammy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hammy. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share