# ham it up

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/ham-it-up
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To deliberately exaggerate one's emotions or movements, or to overact or act hammily.

## Examples

- He likes to ham it up when he tells funny stories.
- The actor decided to ham it up during the comedy scene, making the audience laugh out loud.
- Although the director requested a subtle performance, the lead actor could not resist the urge to ham it up for the cameras.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.