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
Injury watch Justin Jefferson’s hammy will make its 2025 debut Monday night, and Vikings fans should not be expecting an all-world opener.
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Kevin Cusick, Twin Cities, 7 Sep. 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
Kevin Cusick, Twin Cities, 7 Sep. 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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Part of my demands were cast approval, final cut, and theatrical release.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
6 Nov. 2025
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After recent discussions with his major studio suppliers in Los Angeles, Jacob touted Paramount, newly-acquired by David Ellison’s Skydance, ramping up its movie output and growing interest in theatrical releases from streamers like Amazon and Apple.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The dramatic retelling chronicles the moments leading up to and immediately after the shotgun killings of Murdaugh’s wife, Maggie, and teenage son, Paul.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
5 Nov. 2025
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The country had made dramatic leaps in health-system capacity and life expectancy with the help of a mixture of projects.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hammy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hammy. Accessed 24 Nov. 2025.
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