hammy
adjective
ham·my
| \ ˈha-mē
\
\
hammier;
hammiest
Definition of hammy
: marked by exaggerated and usually self-conscious theatricality
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Other Words from hammy
hammily
\ ˈha-mə-lē
\
adverb
\
adverb
hamminess
\ ˈha-mē-nəs
\
noun
\
noun
Synonyms & Antonyms for hammy
Synonyms
dramatic, histrionic, melodramatic, stagy (or stagey), theatrical (also theatric)
Antonyms
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Examples of hammy in a Sentence
a hammy singer whose overwrought renditions of love songs just beg listeners to cry
Recent Examples on the Web
From that point on, Richie settled into a groove of singing one of his many hits and then engaging in hammy patter that felt as canned as Spam. — Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, "Not even a premature fireworks display can stop Lionel Richie from lighting up the Grandstand," 30 Aug. 2019 Intentional or not, the movie’s Dollar Store makeup design, hammy zoom-ins and imperfect effects root the horror in the real world to extra nightmarish effect. — New York Times, "Summer Chills: A Horror Fan’s Guide to What to Watch Right Now," 15 Aug. 2019 To listen to Chance is to absorb a mix of social messaging and personal anecdotes spiced with hammy humor and broad applause lines—not unlike with a vote-seeker’s memoir. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, "Chance the Rapper Wants You to Get Married," 30 July 2019 The adaptation of one of the weirder Marvel brands did everything wrong, from its garish costumes to its hammy dialogue to its terrible special effects. — Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, "11 Marvel TV shows, definitively ranked (including 'Cloak and Dagger')," 11 June 2018 The rest is covered by convincing if somewhat hammy digital effects work, and on scenes set months earlier, on Tahiti, from the couple’s recent past. — Michael Phillips, chicagotribune.com, "'Adrift' review: Trouble off Tahiti with Shailene Woodley, Sam Claflin and a hurricane," 31 May 2018 Rhett himself is a fine showman, adept at engaging a crowd without going too hammy. — Joey Guerra, Houston Chronicle, "Thomas Rhett brings a pop of country to RodeoHouston," 7 Mar. 2018 Playing the actor-villain Phoenix Buchanan, Hugh Grant gives a marvelously hammy performance that reminded me of Ronald Colman in George Cukor’s A Double Life (1947). — Ben Sachs, Chicago Reader, "Animals / Film In praise of the acting in Paddington 2," 31 Jan. 2018 Wright’s restlessness can be off-putting, but his technique feels like a reasonable match here for the high-stakes subject matter, and the heightened (but not hammy) pitch of the performances. — Gary Thompson, Philly.com, "'Darkest Hour': Gary Oldman's unexpectedly bright and buoyant profile of Winston Churchill," 13 Dec. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hammy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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