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
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
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
See All Example Sentences for hammy
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
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
See All Example Sentences for hammy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hammy
Adjective
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Greenwich Entertainment previously secured North American distribution rights in a deal with UTA Independent Film Group, with a theatrical release planned for later this year.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
5 May 2025
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The film will get a theatrical release from A24 on Aug. 22 before arriving on Apple TV+ on Sept. 5.—
Hilary Lewis,
HollywoodReporter,
5 May 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 11 May. 2025.
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