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
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
But the banter is quick and Yelena and Alexei’s Russian accents are enjoyably hammy.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 1 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
There’s nothing hammy or camp about the way the senior actors suddenly develop a predatory glean in the eye, inevitably preceding something awful coming out of their mouths.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hammy
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2025
But the banter is quick and Yelena and Alexei’s Russian accents are enjoyably hammy.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 1 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
There’s nothing hammy or camp about the way the senior actors suddenly develop a predatory glean in the eye, inevitably preceding something awful coming out of their mouths.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hammy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hammy
Adjective
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The slate will be available to Prime members across more than 240 countries and territories shortly after their theatrical releases.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
21 Aug. 2025
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Prior to its theatrical release, the English-language version of the film will premiere in the Centerpiece section of the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The series also touches on the controversial, dramatic weight loss of Rachel Frederickson, the winner of season 15, who dropped down to 105 pounds from 260 pounds.—
Addie Morfoot,
Variety,
15 Aug. 2025
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Often, they’re just used as an excuse to bring back dead characters (or, in the case of Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom, to bring back old actors as new characters), which robs any current story of dramatic stakes.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hammy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hammy. Accessed 27 Aug. 2025.
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