variants
or stagey
1
as in theatrical
given to or marked by attention-getting behavior suggestive of stage acting
a motivational speaker whose stagy presentations motivate some listeners to head for the nearest exit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dramatic
having the general quality or effect of a stage performance
the president's and the prime minister's public display of mutual admiration was a little too stagy to be convincing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stagy
The auteur can now cross another genre off his bucket list with The Samurai and the Prisoner (Kokurojo), a stately and rather stagy historical mystery set during the 16th century, at a time when warring clans fought and outmaneuvered each other for control of the land.
—
Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 24 May 2026
Some of his jabs seemed a bit forced and stagy.
—Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
Sure, there’s something stagy in summing up Hart’s life via an increasingly drunken evening celebrating the premiere of his former creative partner Richard Rodgers’s (Andrew Scott) musical Oklahoma!, which will go on to be hugely successful and beloved, but which Hart can’t stand.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
And even though there are stretches of stagey-sounding expository dialogue, the story manages to wheel along at a clip.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
Some reservations: Song plays out the scenes between Lucy and Harry, and between Lucy and John, as two-way dialogues that are often stagy and too on-the-nose.
—Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 12 June 2025
His Cabinet gathered in the Rose Garden alongside supporters wearing hard hats and reflective vests—a stagy reference to all the manufacturing jobs that would presumably be flooding back to U.S. soil.
—Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025
Here was elegance without exaggeration, tension and beauty without stagy excess.
—James Shapiro, The New York Review of Books, 3 Jan. 2025
Advertisement Gwen Grastorf’s embodiment of the scheming goody-goody Arsinoë is a tad stagy, but the character is still a fine foil for the quick-witted Célimène.
—Celia Wren, Washington Post, 4 May 2023
Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 24 May 2026
Some of his jabs seemed a bit forced and stagy.
—Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
Sure, there’s something stagy in summing up Hart’s life via an increasingly drunken evening celebrating the premiere of his former creative partner Richard Rodgers’s (Andrew Scott) musical Oklahoma!, which will go on to be hugely successful and beloved, but which Hart can’t stand.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
And even though there are stretches of stagey-sounding expository dialogue, the story manages to wheel along at a clip.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
Some reservations: Song plays out the scenes between Lucy and Harry, and between Lucy and John, as two-way dialogues that are often stagy and too on-the-nose.
—Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 12 June 2025
His Cabinet gathered in the Rose Garden alongside supporters wearing hard hats and reflective vests—a stagy reference to all the manufacturing jobs that would presumably be flooding back to U.S. soil.
—Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025
Here was elegance without exaggeration, tension and beauty without stagy excess.
—James Shapiro, The New York Review of Books, 3 Jan. 2025
Advertisement Gwen Grastorf’s embodiment of the scheming goody-goody Arsinoë is a tad stagy, but the character is still a fine foil for the quick-witted Célimène.
—Celia Wren, Washington Post, 4 May 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stagy
Adjective
-
Her idiosyncrasies remain, though, and PULL is at its most compelling when her experimental tendencies mesh with a four-to-the-floor beat or a theatrical chorus.—
Alex Robert Ross,
Pitchfork,
15 June 2026
-
IndieWire debuts the official stateside trailer exclusively below, and ahead of the film’s theatrical release starting June 26.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
The Cowboys went with a more aesthetically pleasing tint on the windows, which does have a dramatic effect on the natural sun inside the stadium.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 June 2026
-
The four dramatic crashes happening so close together has raised concerns, but experts say there is no sign of any connection between the very different accidents.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
Josh Groban is best known for his operatic baritone, not his dancing.—
Rodney Ho,
AJC.com,
15 June 2026
-
Equally impressive are its songs, including one that’s movingly operatic.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stagy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stagy. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
