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
The usually very composed DiCaprio is going viral for getting playful during one of the show's commercial breaks, as he was captured laughing, smiling, and doing a very hammy impression of a person who was off camera.
—
Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Jan. 2026
The result is moving, but just a little hammy.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 14 Nov. 2025
Yes, the natural charisma is there, but gone are the hammy flourishes and over-the-top gags.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 10 Nov. 2025
Injury watch Justin Jefferson’s hammy will make its 2025 debut Monday night, and Vikings fans should not be expecting an all-world opener.
—Kevin Cusick, Twin Cities, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hammy
Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Jan. 2026
The result is moving, but just a little hammy.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 14 Nov. 2025
Yes, the natural charisma is there, but gone are the hammy flourishes and over-the-top gags.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 10 Nov. 2025
Injury watch Justin Jefferson’s hammy will make its 2025 debut Monday night, and Vikings fans should not be expecting an all-world opener.
—Kevin Cusick, Twin Cities, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hammy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hammy
Adjective
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In the nineties, hip-hop was toughening up the sound of American popular music; Jackson, fey and theatrical, seemed increasingly distant from the cultural mainstream.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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The Musical, which soft open in Chicago before heading to Broadway, but ground-breaking productions that went on to change the nation's theatrical course.—
Dana Kozlov,
CBS News,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In a dramatic scene, officers were captured on video approaching the home with guns drawn, looking for a suspect.—
Austin Turner,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2026
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But what makes this situation so hard is that there’s no obvious villain and no dramatic fallout (which, in some ways, would almost be easier to deal with).—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hammy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hammy. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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