hammy

adjective

ham·​my ˈha-mē How to pronounce hammy (audio)
hammier; hammiest
: marked by exaggerated and usually self-conscious theatricality
hammily adverb
hamminess noun

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 No matter how well-intentioned, the narrative’s complexities are flattened into hammy contrivances that only accentuate how ill-suited Penn is for the role. Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 8 May 2024 Fassbender plays the hit man like a runway model — photogenic but blank, an automaton’s version of Kevin Spacey’s hammy villain in Se7en. Armond White, National Review, 17 Nov. 2023 That doesn’t apply to Branagh, who has always been a perfect fit for the hammy character of Poirot. Caryn James, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Sep. 2023 And while the third episode is, indeed, an absolute torrent of badassery, early episodes are dominated by talk and a hammy Mel Gibson. Disney+ is in a particular IP rut, which isn’t surprising. Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Oct. 2023 See all Example Sentences for hammy 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hammy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1929, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hammy was in 1929

Dictionary Entries Near hammy

Cite this Entry

“Hammy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hammy. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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