camp it up

1. Make an extravagant, affected, or vulgar display, as in Amateur actors often camp it up, trying to be more dramatic. Originating in the 1950s as slang for flamboyant behavior stereotypically associated with gay men, this term began to be used more loosely by about 1970. Also see ham it up.

Example Sentences

Cumming, who actually appeared in 1995 Bond film GoldenEye, says the producers of the reality show wanted him to "camp it up" and host it as an over-the-top character.

From BBC

While technically this is a film, the director Joe Mantello reunited the cast of his Tony Award-winning revival of Mart Crowley’s now-classic play, so the world can check out Zachary Quinto, Jim Parsons et al. camp it up like 2018 is 1968 all over again.

From New York Times

They acquired footage from National Geographic but were mindful not to camp it up.

From The New Yorker

“I used to camp it up something terrible when we played the song,” he says.

From The Guardian

Bruno advised her to “camp it up even more” but thought it was “a step in the right direction.”

From Los Angeles Times