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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hammy
Maybe some scenes and interactions were right on the edge of scripted, and maybe Ozzy’s primal form was that of a hammy lover of the spotlight.
—
Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2025
The tone is maddeningly ambiguous, somewhere between stupid and serious, hammy and apocalyptic—in other words, consummate Crews.
—Charlie Lee, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
Austin’s lush mustache and hammy Southern drawl aren’t quite in sync with the tone; Rudd seems stuck in the Ferrell version of the film.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2025
There’s just enough harrowing sorrow, eye-popping oddity and acting — whether good or hammy, there’s undeniably a lot of it — to make for a transfixing watch.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hammy
Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2025
The tone is maddeningly ambiguous, somewhere between stupid and serious, hammy and apocalyptic—in other words, consummate Crews.
—Charlie Lee, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
Austin’s lush mustache and hammy Southern drawl aren’t quite in sync with the tone; Rudd seems stuck in the Ferrell version of the film.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2025
There’s just enough harrowing sorrow, eye-popping oddity and acting — whether good or hammy, there’s undeniably a lot of it — to make for a transfixing watch.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hammy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hammy
Adjective
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The idea is to make the merchandise available in tandem with its theatrical debut, or else later, as an additional marketing vector when the project streams or releases on physical media.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Sep. 2025
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Wahlberg plays a holy fool in Boogie Nights, our naïve but well-endowed guide through the heyday of theatrical pornography and its decline into something cheaper and tawdrier courtesy of the triumph of VHS.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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During the past decade, Tranter has established himself as one of the music industry’s most reliable hitmakers, thanks to his clever, boisterous lyricism and dramatic, over-the-top choruses and hooks.—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Oct. 2025
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While an Oscar nomination for Jay Kelly would mark Sandler's first, the actor, known more for his comedic roles, previously flexed some of his dramatic chops in films like Punch-Drunk Love (2002), Reign Over Me (2007) and Uncut Gems (2019).—
Jen Juneau,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hammy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hammy. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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