hammy

¹

[ ham-ee ]

adjective

, ham·mi·er, ham·mi·est.

1. resembling ham in taste, flavor, appearance, etc.

hammy

²

[ ham-ee ]

adjective

, ham·mi·er, ham·mi·est.

1. characteristic of a person who overacts.
2. overacted.
3. exaggerated.

hammy

/ ˈhæmɪ /

adjective

1. (of an actor) overacting or tending to overact
2. (of a play, performance, etc) overacted or exaggerated

Other Words From

• hammi·ly adverb
• hammi·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of hammy¹

First recorded in 1860–65; ham ¹ + -y ¹

Origin of hammy²

First recorded in 1925–30; ham ² + -y ¹

Example Sentences

A lot of the other things that I play are way more hammy or comedic roles.

From Time

I turn to one of the boys in wheelchairs, who rewards me with a giant, hammy smile.

From The Daily Beast

A bemused line reading sneaks in when you are anticipating a hammy hard sell.

From The Daily Beast

Clinton punctuated her hammy gesture with a deep, throaty chuckle.

From The Daily Beast

And Anthony Hopkins as Noah's hammy 969-year-old grandpa, Methuselah, who was apparently an incorrigible berry addict.

From The Daily Beast

Then Hammy's tummy is a mutinous soldier, and must be taught to obey the Word of Command.

From Project Gutenberg

I had rather sit under Hammy and hear about Noah, with Berta on the other knee.

From Project Gutenberg

The buyers much dislike any foreign smell, any mouldy, hammy, or cheesy odour.

From Project Gutenberg

The Hammy boy is particularly anxious to have his love sent to "Misr Creedy."

From Project Gutenberg

Hammy, in manly fashion, offered a hand—the left—the right arm being occupied with the box of toys.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• abstract
• distorted
• excessive
• extravagant
• fabricated
• false
• farfetched
• hyperbolic
• inflated
• magnified
• melodramatic
• overblown
• overwrought
• preposterous
• pretentious
• stylized
• unrealistic