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 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
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
See All Example Sentences for 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
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
See All Example Sentences for hammy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hammy
Adjective
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Others, like the taller H2 model, focused on theatrical flourishes.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Feb. 2026
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With around $40 million stateside, and another $40 million internationally, the film appears poised to break Hollywood's string of box office flops as the industry continues to fret over the increasingly dire economics of theatrical releases.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The verdict closes a chapter of one of South Korea’s biggest political crises, a saga that has been full of dramatic twists that have tested the country’s democratic guardrails.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
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The storms that pummeled Southern California this week brought dramatic wind gusts, bursts of rain and lightning that set trees on fire, not to mention heavy snow.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hammy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hammy. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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