hammy

¹

[ham-ee]

adjective

hammier, hammiest 

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

hammy

²

[ham-ee]

adjective

hammier, hammiest 

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 Word Forms

• hammily adverb
• hamminess 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

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.

From Los Angeles Times

Yet everything about his hammy manner suggests an old-fashioned thespian in love with the sound of his own voice and utterly oblivious to method psychology.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s not easy when you pull a hammy just as you’re getting set to pull away from the pack.

From Seattle Times

But her cruel mother, who Berlant plays with an Irish accent even though we’re told she’s Spanish, doesn’t believe this is a suitable gift for her hammy daughter and smashes it on the floor.

From Los Angeles Times

“Anything that was hammy would stick out like a sore thumb.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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