campy

adjective

ˈkam-pē 

campier; campiest

: in the style of camp : absurdly exaggerated, artificial, or affected in a usually humorous way

campy horror movies

campy humor

Witnessing their synchronized routine, he almost expects them to break into some campy chorus line from one of the seedier nightclubs.

—Margaret Atwood

He could modify his outbursts into what were sometimes hilariously campy performances.

—Robert Gray

campily

ˈkam-pə-lē 

adverb

The new film promises to be as campily outrageous as its predecessors.

—John Stark

… the Addams Family, the campily macabre clan created by the late cartoonist Charles Addams …

—Margot Dougherty

campiness

ˈkam-pē-nəs 

noun

… hoped to take Rocketeer to a much higher level of sophistication and avoid the campiness of some of the more recent comics-inspired films.

—Ron Magid

… a power-mad despot, played with exhilarating campiness by John Malkovich.

—Steven Rebello

Examples of campy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

With a few shakes, edible glitter can turn nearly any food into a festive, even campy, feast. —Karen Yuan, Bon Appétit, 2 Dec. 2024

The sale is also full of weird, campy little prints (non-derogatory)—the bandana print and the leopard print ones def caught my eye. —Aamina Inayat Khan, StyleCaster, 26 Nov. 2024

Critics and audiences didn't mind the more upbeat ending, however, no doubt won over by the catchy tunes and deft mix of campy humor and horror. —Ars Technica, 31 Oct. 2024

That realization elevates the film’s campy blood-and-guts from gore to gut-punch. —Gráinne O'Hara Belluomo, WWD, 1 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

camp entry 3 + -y entry 1

First Known Use

1932, in the meaning defined above