hammy

«hammy» in Mova's school dictionary: Acting in an over-the-top, exaggerated, not natural way — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

part of speech

adjective (hammy, hammier, hammiest) — (informal)

meaning for a pupil

1) (informal) Acting in an over-the-top, exaggerated, not natural way. tree →

2) Tasting or smelling of ham. tree →

sense in the lessons

In drama: «hammy acting» is too big and showy; a «ham» is an actor who overacts. In everyday talk: «That was a bit hammy!» A mild tease, often funny.

examples

• His acting in the school play was very hammy. tree →
• The villain gave a hammy laugh. tree →
• Don't be so hammy — just say the line. tree →
• The film was fun but hammy. tree →
• The soup had a hammy taste. tree →
• She did a hammy faint on the sofa. tree →

note

Informal. From «ham» = an actor who overacts. Comparative: hammier.

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «hammy» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.