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Synonyms

hammy

1 American  
[ham-ee] / ˈhæm i /

adjective

hammier, hammiest

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

hammy 2 American  
[ham-ee] / ˈhæm i /

adjective

hammier, hammiest

  1. characteristic of a person who overacts.

  2. overacted.

  3. exaggerated.

hammy British  
/ ˈhæmɪ /

adjective

  1. (of an actor) overacting or tending to overact

  2. (of a play, performance, etc) overacted or exaggerated

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • hammily adverb
  • hamminess noun

Etymology

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But such compromises do not exist in the extreme and often hammy world of Mr. Tallent’s fiction.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

Exactly 86 minutes after Wood was cleared following concerns over a hamstring injury, Australia's Josh Hazlewood was ruled out of Friday's first Test with a dodgy hammy of his own.

From BBC • Nov. 15, 2025

But the banter is quick and Yelena and Alexei’s Russian accents are enjoyably hammy.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2025

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

From Seattle Times • Mar. 14, 2024

He threw his arms out like a hammy stage actor and began to strut around the case.

From "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.